By Bob Bunn
Scripture Reading: Daniel 6:1-28, 2 Timothy 3:12-15, 1 Peter 5:8-9
I’ve heard it said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results. Honestly, we’ve all been there.
A while back, I was on a mission trip to Puerto Rico with some students from church. We were staying in a rental house and discovered that the dishwasher wasn’t working—after we had dirtied most of the cups and plates in the cabinet. Personally, I didn’t want to wash all those dishes by hand, so I vainly kept pushing buttons and hoping for a miracle, to no avail.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. Sometimes, persistence is what is needed. Instead of just pushing buttons and hoping for magic, a few repeated actions provide purpose and strength that only come through experience. We may not be able to see the effects of the labor at first, but we trust that something is changing that we cannot see.
For example, exercising regularly can be a good thing for our bodies. Reading good books consistently can expand our minds. Showing up at work on time leads to job security and productivity. Even something as small as making your bed each morning can have incredible results.
In a sense, the prophet Daniel was a creature of positive habits. He had lived in Babylon for decades by this point. The young man who had stood before Nebuchadnezzar had grown into an old man serving King Darius. He had seen so many things change over the years. But some things that never changed for him were his commitment to God and to the habits that fostered a strong relationship with Him.
That’s why Daniel never even flinched when he heard about the new law making it illegal to pray to anyone but the king (Daniel 6:10). In his heart, he probably knew about the jealousy of the other leaders, and he probably recognized that he was their target. He certainly understood the consequences of disobeying the king’s command.
Yet he prayed anyway. Instead of fretting or compromising, he took the matter straight to God—and left the results in His hands.
We can’t overlook the fact that Daniel did spend a night in the lion’s den because of his “crime.” We know the rest of the story, so it’s easy to forget that he obeyed God with no guarantees for deliverance. But he believed that facing death was a better option than living with compromise.
Thankfully, for the vast majority of us, no one is scheming to kill us for our faith. But that doesn’t mean we don’t face opportunities to deny our faith and compromise our convictions. In those moments, we can look to Daniel’s example and commit to absolute obedience to God.
When it comes to serving Him, practicing the same spiritual disciplines over and over again isn’t insanity. It’s the wisest step we can take.
Written by Bob Bunn
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