What do you believe in life?
What is important to you?
What belief do you have that you would stake your reputation your very life on?
How much of a part do your belief system, play in your life?
Do your beliefs define who you are?
Can people identify you based on your belief?
Do your beliefs changed based on the group of people you are with?
How strong is your belief?
Are your beliefs worth dying for?
As I read through the bible I am always impress to read about great men and women of God who are willing to die for their belief. They were all ready at a moments notice to lay down their very lives for their beliefs. I often wonder if I were put to the test would I be able to do that? I would love to think that I would and at this moment it would be quite easy to say yes. Yes I would die for my belief and I really believe that I would. However it is easy to live up to your beliefs when you’re surrounded by people who have the same beliefs. It’s easy to say you’re a Christian when everyone around you is saying the same thing. But what if they’re not? Would you still believe what you believe? Would you still admit to having that belief? Would your faith be easily shaken then?
Imagine for a moment being taken away from your family, your friends, everything that you love and are familiar with. Imagine being taken somewhere where traditions, religious beliefs, food and every thing including the language is different. Think about being in this place where no one believes in your God? Would it be easy then to admit to being a Christian? Would you boldly witness for Christ then or would you deny him? Would you become a closet Christian or would you simply blend in with everything that surrounds you?
Reading through the book of Daniel there are several places where we see Daniel and his friends allowing their faith to define their actions. From the first chapter of Daniel we could see that these young men were different. They had a mind of their own. They knew who they were and didn’t allow anyone to change them. Although they were captives in a strange land they resolved not to take on the beliefs and traditions of their Babylonian captors. Many times as Christians youths you will be put in the position where you either have to take a strong stand for your beliefs or fold. You peer group will test you simply to see how firm your beliefs are. When you come to that position, and yes you will come to it, what will your answer be?
Daniel and his friends came to a place where they were asked to do something that went against their beliefs. Have any of you ever been in this position? I’m sure that you have. It’s easy to fall into things that you know is wrong if you don’t have the right mindset. You may be in a bad situation, you may be in a place where almost everyone is swearing, drinking, doing drugs and having sex. However that does not mean that you have to fall into that lifestyle also. But I will say to you, you can fall into it if you don’t have a made up mind. Daniel 6 and says that Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine. Daniel made up in his mind, hey I may be in Babylon but that doesn’t mean I have to eat the Babylonian food. I may be in Babylon but that doesn’t mean I have to serve the Babylonian gods. In the midst of everything that was going on in Babylon Daniel and his friends decided that they were going to be true to their beliefs.
Are your beliefs worth taking a strong stand for? How valuable are they to you? Are you willing to be ostracized, shunned, talked about, despised for your beliefs? God is looking for a group of people who simply don’t care who’s going with them, who likes them, who believes what they believe. He’s looking for a group of young people who will lift up a standard before him like Daniel did. Will you be the Daniel in the midst of your friends? Will you be the one who will say I don’t care if everyone is doing it I’m not going to? Will you be that voice that will make a difference?
(exerpt from a sermon I gave at my church on Youth's Sunday)
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