In this day and age, standing for what is right requires perseverance and strong moral character. Instead of our society promoting wholesome ventures, our world operates with an “anything goes” mentality. Television, movies, and live entertainers appear to make it their goal to outdo one another when it comes to the “shock factor.” If the FCC relaxes for a moment, a broadcasting network pushes the envelope, risking disciplinary action for the extra publicity and ratings. No, standing for what is right is not easy in this day and age, but God blesses those who walk in the paths of righteousness. (Proverbs 11:5)
Daniel’s Stand in Babylon
The Old Testament relays the account of a young man committed to standing up for what is right. In Daniel chapter one, we discover four young jewish boys captured in the Land of Judah and taken into Babylonian captivity. The king ordered the court officials to bring in some of the Israelites
“4 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” (Daniel 1:4)
The king assigned the captives a daily portion of food from the royal table. The king reasoned that three years of education in all things Babylon and the royal diet readied the young men to serve in the kingdom. When Daniel learned about the king’s order to eat from his table, Daniel 1:8 shares,
8 But 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.
His resolution stemmed from a desire to never eat anything sacrificed to false gods. Instead he sought permission from the chief official to eat only vegetables and drink only water for a stretch of ten days. The chief official feared the outcome, believing that Daniel and his friends would appear sickly after the trial period, but because the Lord softened the official’s heart, he relunctantly consented.
After ten days, Daniel and his buddies looked healthier and better nourished than any of the others in the king’s program. God blessed the faithfulness and resoluteness of the four Jewish men.
Was Daniel’s stand popular? Certainly not. No, the chief official feared the outcome and for his life. But God protected the official and blessed the faithfuless of the four young men.
Today and Standing for What is Right
Fast forward a few thousand years. A recent interview published in the Baptist Press brought Chick-Fil-A, a Christian owned an operated fast food franchise, its fair share of condemnation and ridicule. In the interview, the reporter asked Dan Cathy his stance on gay marriage. He replied,
“We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit.”
Voices from the left decried the statement, claiming the franchise and its ownership “homophobic.” Conservatives rallied behind Dan Cathy, pledging to support a restaurant operated by Christian principles.
It’s hard to find people staunch enough in their faith to boldly profess biblical truth in a politically correct world. Sometimes standing for what is right seems mighty lonesome. Knowing this, Mike Huckabee issued a challenge to all Americans. Support Chick-Fil-A on Wednesday August 1. I anticipate enormous crowds at the restaurants tomorrow, and already in the days since the controversy commenced, Chick-Fil-A’s sales shot up several percentage points. According to the Baptist Press,
Cathy leads a business with 1,608 restaurants that had sales of more than $4 billion dollars last year. They sell chicken and train employees to focus on values rooted in the Bible.
No, standing for what is right isn’t popular, but God blesses those who walk faithfully before Him. Deuteronomy 12:28 promises,
28 Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God.”
Christians need to stand with people like the Cathy’s.
Tomorrow, I’ll see you at Chick-Fil-A!
