Daniel had a very high position in the reign of Darius the king, he exceeded the king’s officials. The Bible records clearly, the reason why Daniel could have achievement and a very high position was because he had an excellent spirit. Not recorded, because Daniel had education, experience, capital, or extraordinary relations. The impacts of having an excellent spirit is experienced by Daniel.
“Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm” (Daniel 6:3).
If you have such excellent spirit like Daniel, you will enjoy these impacts:
1. Excel in the workplace (v. 4).
Many Christians who go to church and active in service do not perform very good in the workplace, they reasoned, “Because we lack education, no experience, no capital, no relation, so we can not compete.”
Daniel was a man of Judah exiled to Babylon, at the time the Babylonian rule over the whole earth. So Daniel was an outcast but he excelled in the kingdom of Babylon. The reason was that he had an excellent spirit.
If Christians have an excellent spirit like Daniel, then all their shortcomings will not hinder them to excel in the workplace. If you are lack of education, lack of experience, do not have capital and relation, plus your spirit is weak, obviously you can not compete with the world.
Many people are not able to excel in the workplace and then reasoned because their boss is a world person that is cruel and their friend environment does not support. Daniel began working at the time of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, which was known to be very cruel, and Daniel’s friends also kept trying to impose Daniel. But they couldn’t touch Daniel’s life, on the contrary, it was Daniel who affected the king and kingdoms.
So instead of constantly look for reasons for our inability, we better learn from Daniel, train our spirits so that we have an excellent spirit like Daniel.
“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come” (I Tim. 4:8).
2. Minimize errors (vv. 5-6).
Daniel political enemies constantly tried to find fault with Daniel, but they did not get any errors or omissions in Daniel’s work. This is supposed to be the testimony of believers in the workplace. If you have an excellent spirit, you will be able to minimize errors.
The stronger your spirit, the fewer errors and omissions which you can make, because you are always with God and God always interferes in your work. The more powerful your spirit, the more you can work well and the more you are vigilant and not careless. An excellent spirit can minimize errors!
But that does not mean our enemies will succumb, because when they can not find fault in what we do, they will find fault in our worship. That was done by the Daniel’s enemies.
3. Dare to face the challenge of faith.
Our enemies will try to trap us in various ways, and because of their faith in contrast to ours, that is where we will be attacked. They will ensnare us with a variety of regulations that are discriminatory, but if we have an excellent spirit, we will not retreat. We will have the courage to face the challenge of faith.
“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime” (Dan. 6:11).
When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he didn’t flee to Singapore, he did not complain and grumble, but he still prayed three times a day as he usually did. Daniel had the courage to face the challenge of faith, because he had an excellent spirit. If we have an excellent spirit, we will also have the courage of faith like Daniel.
4. Strong to endure suffering.
Daniel could face any bad experiences in his life, including the lion’s den experience, not because he had a lot of money or a great relations, but because he had an excellent spirit. People who have an excellent spirit will be able to endure suffering no matter how hard.
“The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” (Proverbs 18:14).
In the Amplified Bible translation, the phrase the spirit of man is translated: The strong spirit of a man, it means a strong spirit of a person. If our spirit is strong, we will be able to endure suffering. In this age of ‘successful Christianity,’ Christians is poorly trained to suffer.
They like to receive blessings but do not like to suffer. Whereas the ability to endure suffering is as important as the ability to get blessings and success. Just like in a football team, the ability to defend is as important as the ability to attack.
The real winning team is the team which has ability to attack but also has a great ability to defend. Famous Barcelona football club has a great ability to attack, but unfortunately its defence ability is not as good as the attacking one. That is why even though they often win, but they often have to struggle with difficulty to earn the victory.
Christians are often like that, even though they ultimately win, but they have to struggle with difficulty to reach the victory point.
Note the story of Daniel, we did not see Daniel wrestled with difficulty to pass through the lion’s den experience. After the king’s decree which forbad people to pray to his God was made, Daniel’s life was still running as usual, there was nothing that surprised Daniel. Even after Daniel entered the lion’s den, he did not panic. It was the king who gave the punishment that was panic.
“Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions” (Dan. 6:18-19).
5. Win in all struggles.
In chapter 2, Daniel was under a death sentence because no one can interpret the king’s dream, but he won over the struggle. In chapter 6, all of his work colleagues searched his mistake and tried to trap him in error, but they did not get it.
In the same chapter, Daniel was also threatened with death in the lions’ den, but this also could be passed with a victory. Daniel won in all struggles that he faced because he had an excellent spirit. If we have an excellent spirit like Daniel we will be victorious in every struggle.
6. Raised in lasting glory.
“So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (Dan. 6:28).
“Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, … Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon” (Dan. 2:46-48).
“And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus” (Dan. 1:21).
Daniel was raised in glory because he had an excellent spirit, that’s why the glory that he received was lasting, not temporary. Daniel was raised in glory in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. He was the first king of the Babylonian empire. Daniel was there until the end of the reign of Babylon, even when the Babylonian empire was defeated by Medo-Persia, Daniel was still in his position and even continued to rise.
He served until the first year of Cyrus. Cyrus was the last king of the Medo-Persian empire. Kings and kingdoms were changed, but Daniel remained in his position. No one can bring him down, because it was God who raised him in glory. If the glory is given by God, then it will be a lasting glory.
These are the impacts of having an excellent spirit you will experience and it will be experienced permanently.
Also read: Ways to Overcome Inner Conflicts in Our Lives.
