THE PREREQUISITE FOR DIVINE EXCELLENCE

Maybe like me you have always associated divine excellence with Daniel and the three Hebrew boys. Growing up, my mum always emphasized the prayer for excellence using Daniel as a reference point. From the intimate bible study sessions with my mum to Sunday school, I have always connoted excellence with these boys’ turned men in the book of Daniel. However, during my personal study, I realized that they were not excellent by chance. Daniel 1:1-20 introduces us to the story, informing us of who they were before their phenomenal acts. To begin with, let us take note of the fact that they were not bovine in nature

(Daniel 1:4 (NIV) “…young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians”.

Even though they had these attributes, they were not insouciant, which I believe is the major ingredient for divine excellence. There is so much we can draw from this chronicle but let’s proceed by acknowledging their boldness and tenacity. You see, they were slaves in a foreign land, uncertain about their future but that did not stop them from standing on what they knew was right. The circumstances around them were not favorable but they did not give in to self-pity and excuses.

Moving on, I would love to highlight that their stance was beyond the food, based on the Babylonian tradition, the food offered to slaves was first dedicated to idols. This contradicts the instruction God had given the Israelites through Moses in

Exodus 34:14–15 (NIV). “14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. 15 “Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.”

And this gives us a better understanding of why

“…Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way (Daniel 1:8; NIV)”. 

In other words, they did not conform to the values of Babylon. They were in Babylon, but Babylon was not in them. The pursuit for divine excellence comes from knowing who you are, whose you are and then arriving at the understanding that you can be more. Knowing who you are and to whom you belong does not just give us a sense of belonging but also helps us in setting our standards and sticking to them. From the Hebrew boys, we learn that complacency, self-pity and excuses are not tangible ingredients to becoming excellent. In the current world we live in, there are many excuses that may honestly seem justifiable but the ability to break free from these barriers is what launches us into the realm of divine excellence.

To be excellent, you cannot afford to be satisfied with the normal or average way of life. Now don’t get me wrong, I know that godliness with contentment is great gain (1Tim 6:6; NIV) but there is a subtle difference between being content and being complacent. With contentment, you are grateful for where you are whilst recognizing that there can be more. Complacency ends with just being comfortable in your present state without the drive to be better.

Picking up the thread, let’s briefly analyze these two important keys: self-discipline and accountability. It would be a mistake to assume that the decision to eat vegetables and drink water was an easy one. The Israelites were not typically vegetarians and as a matter of fact, these boys were from the royal family, which means they were used to always having a platter of food. From having a platter to eating just vegetables with water, these boys prove to us that self-discipline is not a pleasant ride but a necessary one. Based on life experiences, I have come to discover that self-discipline is easier to accomplish when there is a point of accountability. Daniel could have decided to do this alone, but he understood that

“two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”

         (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; NIV)”.

To sum up, let’s have an introspective moment, answering these questions honestly. Who has God called me to be? Am I living with the understanding that I belong to God?  Am I content or complacent? What are my values and in what ways am I upholding them? Do I have accountable people around me, or do I have voices that lure me into mediocrity?