Cultivating The Ability To Say No

But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king.   Daniel 1:8

The great significance of Daniel’s decision to abstain from the king’s table was that he was cultivating the ability to say no. This is critical to an effective Christian life: “The grace of God . . . teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness” (Titus 2:11-12, NIV).

Daniel made a great decision. One day a future king would remove freedom of worship and call on everyone to pray in the name of the king or else face death in a den of lions. When that day came, Daniel would be able to stand firm.

If you do not develop the ability to say no on smaller issues, you won’t be able to say no when larger tests and temptations come. That’s why it’s so important to develop the ability to withstand peer pressure and why there’s great value in exercising voluntary restraint over some legitimate pleasures and opportunities.

Daniel was at liberty to eat from the king’s table. But he perceived that the habit of eating at the king’s table would exert a drawing power in his life that could subvert his loyalty to the Lord. So he used his freedom to exercise restraint. He wouldn’t allow himself to get in a position where the good things of life consumed his heart.

This is full of practical significance for us today. Some Christians operate as if there were only one question to be answered in the practical decisions of life—is it right or wrong? And unless it’s illegal, immoral, or it makes us fat, we eagerly affirm our liberty to enjoy. But there is another question to ask—is it wise?

What films should you watch? How large a mortgage should you take? What parties should you go to? What company should you keep? On what should you spend your money? Daniel’s example reminds us that as we make these decisions, we need to consider the long-term potential for being sucked into the values and lifestyles of the world.

For further reading, see Titus 2