Training

“In times of crisis we don’t rise to the occasion. We default to our training.” I heard Kevin Ford say something like this during a recent conference I attended in Orlando, FL. It is truth we often recognize in our professional lives and in the field of athletic competition, but one we don’t tend to apply to our Christians lives. We simply assume that because ‘Jesus lives in my heart’ I will naturally do the right thing. While it’s true that only Christ can enable us to live differently, we must cooperate with Christ’s redemptive power in us in order to see our lives genuinely changed.

Daniel defaults to his training in times of crisis (Daniel 6:10). Daniel established daily habits to allow God to form and shape his character. Three times a day Daniel carved out time from his busy schedule to be in God’s presence. Daniel does not leave his character formation to chance or good intentions.

· Spending 10 minutes every day in prayer and 10 minutes every day in Scripture (the “10/10 challenge”) allows God to form our character for times of crisis.
· Worshipping with God’s people week in and week out (the “52 challenge”) orients the narrative of our lives to the bigger story of God’s work in the world.

We ended last weekend with Daniel in the Lion’s Den – a true cliffhanger! Read Daniel 6:19-28 to see how the story ends and the effect that God’s faithfulness to Daniel has on the king. I look forward to worshipping with you as we conclude our series on the book of Daniel.