Little, Big things
Few things have revolutionized the world in such a short time as has the invention and proliferation of the smart phone. If you’re old like me you might remember the days when smart phones (and all phones for that matter) didn’t have a touch screen. Originally touchscreen technology was glitchy and cheap, with screens being made from plastic, as any of my fellow former Nintendo DS users will remember fondly.
When Steve Jobs and the team at apple began to develop the iPhone, its initial prototypes included a plastic touch screen. Job’s, who often obsessed the details, insisted on finding a better way.
After working with Corning (shout out Harrodsburg, Ky) Job’s found and believed quickly in Gorilla Glass and made this part of his plan for the development of Apple’s smartphone. Glass wasn’t the easy choice. It would cost more, be more difficult to manufacture and produce but Job’s believed this investment was worth it to give the iPhone the feel of a premium product.
Often, it’s the things that might seem insignificant that have lasting, powerful impact. We see this in Daniel chapter 1. God’s people, because of their unfaithfulness have been taken over and taken captive by the Babylonians. The conquerors returned to their home land with the brightest and best of the young people from Israel included in them was a young man named Daniel.
The plan was for three years these choice-young-men would learn and study to be of use to the King of Babylon. The King provided their lodging, training and plenty to eat and drink. Daniel, however, prioritized God. He knew that God had given his people special instructions of what was acceptable for them to eat and not to eat things that had been offered as sacrifices to false gods.
Daniels request was that he and his friends be given ten days to test and see if they ate only vegetables and drank only water would God keep them just as strong and healthy as the other captives. God did, and even more. They were of such noticeable better health that soon all the others were given this same diet.
Daniel prioritized God over EVERYTHING. It wasn’t just about this big things, it was the small ones. No one would have judged him for eating the food the King had given him and it was a risk to even offer an alternative but God was and is faithful.
How we act when no one is watching, or in the mundane everyday moments of our lives is one of the greatest testimonies to what Jesus has done in our lives. We see throughout scripture that we are called to live with radical integrity. As witnesses for Jesus we should be people who are devoted to our convictions and live with consistency in everything.
Little, big things make all difference in our witness.
In Daniels story we see a little, big thing displayed in his devotion to his convictions. Daniel determined (Daniel 1:8) that he would do right, no matter what it cost him. Our world is desperately hungry for some people who will live with conviction.
If you wonder what your convictions should be, that’s not actually my job or anyone else’s. We find what our convictions should be by reading and applying God’s word and by listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This type of life, one of conviction, will preach a lot louder than a bible verse in our Instagram bio ever can.
Daniel also exemplifies a devotion to consistency (vs 14-15). He actually did the hard thing. Daniel went with only vegetables and water for 10 days knowing this was a risk. Truly, I don’t know that I could go without Diet Coke for 10 days if my life depended on it. Daniel put his life where his faith was.
Living with consistency is a huge testament to what Jesus has done in our lives. Daniel was the same in Babylon that he was in Jerusalem. So should we strive to live in a consistent way as followers of Jesus.
Little, big things in our lives often cost. Daniel gave up what was the best food the world had to offer, Steve Jobs sacrificed convenience. Whether a diet or an iPhone or our lives, when we live with conviction and consistency it pays off.
