Against the Flow: Holiness in a Hostile WorldSample

Day 11: Consistency in Chaos

In a 2009 study published in the European Journal of Psychology, it takes 66 days on average, for a new behaviour to become a habit. In forming habits, consistency is key. But in reality, many of us have likely struggled to keep our New Year resolutions and even goals we set for ourselves. Life’s unexpected events, competing priorities and distractions, derail us and cause us to lose focus.

In today’s passage, Daniel models for us a life of consistency in chaos. Under the new reign of Darius of Persia, Daniel continued to stand out for his stellar work ethic and integrity. In fact, his jealous rivals used his religion to plot against him as they could find no other grounds to accuse him (v 5). They laid a trap for Daniel based on his practice of daily prayer to God (v7) and he was faced with the prospect of being thrown into the lion’s den if he persisted.

Daniel could have dealt with this life-threatening situation in many other ways. He could have chosen to pray privately for a while till the situation became less dire. He could have questioned or rebelled against the edict with his powerful status. He could have yielded to save his own life. Instead, there was no inner turmoil or worry recorded in the narrative. Daniel’s response was simple – he continued his regular habit of praying to the Lord three times a day (v10). It was business as usual. He was not publicly flaunting his rebellion, neither was he hiding his worship of God.

When crisis struck, Daniel remained steadfast and unflinching in his obedience to the Lord. He regarded his devotion to God as more important than his very life. His quiet commitment to God remained consistent in the very face of danger.

What about you? Many circumstances in life can derail you from living a life of consistent faithfulness to the Lord. Daniel’s commitment to God was not wavered even when his life was in peril. In comparison, what have you allowed to waver you in your consistency in walking with God? Will you allow trouble, hardship, chaos, seasons of life or even your successes to stand in the way of being faithful to God? Will you determine to keep practicing the spiritual habits of prayer and reading the Word consistently despite your circumstances? Will you choose to be loyal to God even when the world stands against you?

Prayer points:

• Were there times when you yielded to the pressures of the world and compromised your loyalty to God? Pray and ask the Lord for courage to obey Him even in challenging moments.
• How can you remain consistently faithful to God in your life? Think of one practical way and commit it to the Lord in prayer. Ask the Lord to enable you to walk faithfully as a Christ-follower.