Daniel 1:3-4 “And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.”
With the election now in our rearview mirror, one final election-related area is worthy of consideration. Over the weeks that I wrote about the election, I lamented the lack of strong Christian candidates on the ballot. The world is partly at fault for this gap, weeding out many Christian candidates before the election because they were considered too conservative and fundamental. Yet, the Christian community may be at fault as well.
Daniel and his faithful colleagues were useful and impactful because they were both capable and faithful. They had cultivated the amazing gifts God had given them and were able to stand in the king’s palace because they were educated, credible, and skillful. Their without-blemish testimonies were able to influence the core of the Babylonian government because the world first recognized their superior talents.
Our land desperately needs strong and capable Christians behind our pulpits. We need strong and capable Christians leading our ministries. Yet, we also need strong and capable Christians elsewhere. We need strong and capable Christian politicians. We need strong and capable Christian scientists. We need strong and capable Christian entertainers. We need strong and capable Christian businessmen. We need strong and capable Christian craftsmen. We need strong and capable Christian laborers. We need strong and capable Christian educators. We need strong and capable Christian athletes. We need strong and capable Christian soldiers. We need strong and capable Christian authors. We need strong and capable Christians in all professions in order to truly impact every corner of our land.
The Christian community must encourage and promote the full cultivation of talents among our faithful. Only by doing so can our professional influence fully complement our ministerial influence for the cause of Christ. PLEASE PRAY THAT CHRISTIANS IN ALL AREAS WOULD BE CAPABLE, CREDIBLE, AND FAITHFUL. Daniel was!
