Stand Out: Standing Out

Stand Out 1

Standing Out

Message by Daniel Carandang

Written by Ashley Petallano

STAND OUT.

What does that mean?

To simply just stand outside?

Standing out can simply mean being the difference. It's being noticed for something that makes you remarkable or...just different. 

If there ever was a person who knew more about standing out, that was Daniel.

Take a look at his story:

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 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. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.

Daniel 1:1-5

Jehoiakim was the essence of evil. He was scheming and a traitor- he decided to switch sides when he thought that Nebuchadnezzar would lose the battle. Such character proved him not to be worthy of the latter's trust, which lead to Nebuchadnezzar seizing the chance to defeat the evil king.

Obviously, with the Lord's hand, he won.

God allowed Judah to fall captive due to their ignorance of Him. They had fallen to idolatry, forgotten the true God. So He taught them a lesson. 

Nebuchadnezzar decided to take with him the best of their men, to be used for his services. In doing so, he pushed these young men to three years of training to erase any hint of their Judean heritage, making them as Babylonian as they could be. They were taught the culture, social relations and basically the need-to-knows.

It's some sort of re-culturing. Imagine yourself being given a makeover. If you wanted to look more like a Korean popstar, your eyes would be transformed. The make-up would make your eyes smaller, your skin fairer and smoother!

Some of these young men underwent transformation, more than just simple make-up. They would forget Judea and start becoming Babylonians.

In the bunch, there were four special men.

Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

 Daniel 1:6-7

Daniel and his three friends were ordered to be given new identities. Even their names had to be changed in order to stay in line with the Babylonians beliefs. You see, these young men's names were all God-names, as we can call it. 

Daniel- God is my judge

Hananiah - Yahweh is gracious

Mishael - Who is like God

Azariah - Yahweh is a helper

The Babylonians wanted to erase any trace of God in these boys. So, they were given new names dedicated to other gods.

Beltheshazzar - for Bel, an idol. (Daniel)

Shadrach - The command of Aku, another idol (Hananiah)

Meshach - Who is like Aku? (Mishael)

Abednego - the servant of Nebo (Azariah)

They were stamped once given a new identity.

Society shapes our beliefs. Lady Gaga firmly insists that we should embrace whatever we are-- girl, boy, gay or not-- because that's who you are. The world tells you that you are this free being who is in command of your life and can really forget God because...you don't need Him.

Your behavior will now follow because this your understanding of who you are.

Daniel and his friends were slowly being melded into the Babylonian society. They were being conformed and began to slowly fade into the background...no longer standing out.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Are we no different from the world?

Some of us claim that we are Christians yet our lives say otherwise. We constantly party with our friends in order to look cool, we swear just for them to see that we aren't lame. Some boys will just catch any girl they like so they can prove to their friends that they're chick magnets.

How do you relate to others? How do you study?

Do you stand out? Or are you one of them?

These four men were offered the finest of food, ones served for the king. At first, we might say: "What's bad about that? It's just food!" The food was somehow a lure for these young gents to slowly embrace their new society.

Delicious as they might have been, Daniel chose to do otherwise.

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.

Daniel 1:8

RESOLVED- fixed, determined.

Daniel was determined in his heart that he will not conform to these people.

We face situations that sometimes can bend our stands. Some of us stand in the honor roll and once our spots are threatened, we cannot help but cheat just to stay. For those college students who are nearing their deadlines (especially thesis!), plagiarizing someone else's work sounds like an easier option.

We defile ourselves when we want something.

Daniel resolved not to be one of them. Though the food was tempting, he decided to turn his back.

We should follow his example. As tempting as the ways of the world may be, we should choose to stand out, to be different. When we resolve to do everything for Christ, we decide to keep our word, to be good stewards and reliable followers of His. 

Instead of becoming a Babylonian and turning his face away from God, Daniel chose to stand out. 

Standing out is a choice. It's not an automatic thing. It's a deliberate conscious decision!

"Why? Why should I stand out?"

Why do we have to obey God? Why should we attend an Elevate group, not cheat, not commit sexual immorality and all that?

Why stand out?

First and foremost, Christianity is not a fad. It's not a set of rules or religious systems. It's not intended to just be head knowledge. If you say you're a Christian but you're just doing what you have to do because you know you have to do it, or you just want to get something from God, that is just religion.

Why then should we do all these 'good' things?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will. 

Romans 12:1-2

Christianity is not a ritual, regulation or a religion. It's a response to what Jesus did on the cross two thousand years ago. 

It was never meant to just be stocked in the head and forgotten. We were separated by sin because of the fall of man when Adam and Eve took a bite from that fruit. We were doomed to hell but God chose to send Jesus to suffer in our place. The reconciliation provided by his death would result into genuine transformation.

In other words, when a person experiences the love, grace and forgiveness of God, his life will change. It will STAND OUT.

Jesus did say in John 14:23 that anyone who loves Him obeys His teachings. 

We're not talking about a perfect lifestyle, sin makes it impossible for us to be perfect. We will fall sometimes but if we dedicate our lives to God and obey as much as we could, there will be an undeniable distinction between us and the world. 

We should stand out as a response to God's love.

Daniel responded to that love. And look at how it rewarded him:

At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead. To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom. And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus. 

Daniel 1:15-21

They did not compromise just to achieve success. They did it God's way and they proved it was the best way. The Lord blessed them for their devotion.

They stood out.

How about you?

Are you willing to stand out?