Be All You Can Be: A Challenge to Stretch Your God-Given Potential (23 page)

Then we got on a train for Philadelphia, a city rich in American history. As we sat in Constitution Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed, I realized the commitment level of our nation’s founders. By signing their names to this document, these wealthy men were risking their lives and all they possessed. We also visited the graves of many of the signers, many of whom died penniless.

We went to Williamsburg, Virginia, where Patrick Henry began his leadership. He was the first American governor there, the man who said, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Two of the most impressive monuments we saw in Washington, D.C., the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, were built to honor the presidents who had the greatest struggles. One had the struggle of forming the nation, and the other had the struggle of keeping the nation. These are all monuments to commitment.

In Scripture, God gives us many great examples of committed men and women, with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego among them. King Nebuchadnezzar, the ruler of Babylon, has taken Israel captive and selected some of the promising young Hebrew men to be trained and serve in his court. Of course, the one known best is Daniel, but we’re going to look especially at his three friends.

Nebuchadnezzar built a golden idol and instructed his people that at the sound of the music they were to bow down and worship this idol. It seemed that everybody was cooperating, but then some Chaldeans came to the king with an upsetting report: “There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up” (Dan. 3:12). The world reacts in several ways to people who are committed. The first response is brought out in this verse: The world takes notices of our commitment. These three guys really stood out.

“Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego; then these men were brought before the king” (Dan. 3:13). The second thing that happens is this: The world will be annoyed by our commitment. Nebuchadnezzar was downright mad; he flew into a rage. He couldn’t handle somebody who didn’t think the way he thought, believe the way he believed, or walk the way he walked.

“Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, ‘Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?’” (Dan. 3:14). This verse brings our the next reaction: The world will question our commitment. Nebuchadnezzar had to double-check; he couldn’t believe these guys had such strong backbones.

Nebuchadnezzar then said he would give them another chance to bow down to the image. “But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands” (Dan. 3:15)? The fourth reaction is this: The world will test your commitment.

As those three Jews stood there that day, I imagine several thoughts went through their heads. They probably asked themselves questions like,
Can God deliver us? What would it hurt if we bowed down just one time?
I’ve often thought that would have been a convenient time for them to tie their shoelaces, so they could bow down; not to worship the idol, of course, just to tie their shoes.

When we come to the crossroad of our commitment, the strength of our commitment has to prove itself. The choice will not be easy, because it’s all or nothing. Our security, our identity, and our popularity may be at stake. It will not be a decision we can make lightly.

When I’m at a crossroad of commitment in my life, a personal decision must be made.
Other
people may care; they may pray; they may offer advice; but the decision will be mine alone. I’m the one who will have to live with it and answer for it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego stood together, but each had to make his own decision, his own commitment.

A second characteristic of a crossroad commitment is that
the decision will always cost something
. There is no such thing as a free commitment. In this situation commitment could have cost the Hebrews their lives. Your commitment may not be quite that expensive, but it will cost you something. It may cost you a friendship. It may cost you a few points in the popularity poll. But if it were free, it would also be worthless. Count on it costing.

A third thing I find at the crossroad is that others
will be influenced by it
. We never make a major decision at a crossroad without affecting other people. We may make the decision alone, and may walk the commitment alone, but we never make an important commitment that does not affect other people. It’s like the rippling effect when a stone is thrown into a pond. The whole pond is affected.

Fourth,
it’s the place where God reveals himself to us
. Note that Nebuchadnezzar asked the men, “What god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?” Even the world realizes that our commitments are valid only because God intervenes.

Our concept of God in crisis situations will determine our commitment. If we think God will fail us, flee, or be fickle, we’ll never make strong commitments. We would be foolish to commit ourselves to someone who is irresponsible. But if our concept of God tells us he’s sure, steadfast, true, and faithful, then we can make those commitments confidently.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were able to make the right kind of commitment because they had the right concept of God. They said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king” (Dan. 3:16–17). Their first concept of God was that he is able.

They went on to say, “But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Dan. 3:18). They understood that God expects us to do right regardless of the consequences. If we have that twofold concept of God, we have the glue for a very strong bonding for our commitment.

If we can begin to see God as one who expects us to do right regardless of the consequences, we won’t waiver; God many times will bring healing and deliverance and power and anointing to our lives, but that’s just the icing on the cake. Our concept of God makes a great difference.

What resulted from the commitment of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego?

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. He commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire. Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. For this reason, because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. (Dan. 3:19–23)

The first result of our commitment is that
we will be tried
. Bank on it: When we stand up for God, we will be tested.

The second result of our commitment is that
God will be glorified
. When we are truly committed to him, he will receive praise.

Nebuchadnezzar looked into the fiery furnace and asked, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” For he saw in the furnace four men, “loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!” He called to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to come out, and the three guys came out. In Daniel 3:27, we can see that the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw that the fire had had no effect on their bodies. Their hair wasn’t singed, their trousers weren’t damaged, and they didn’t even smell like fire. We can’t even do that well if we go to a restaurant and sit in the nonsmoking section.

Nebuchadnezzar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way” (Dan. 3:28–29).

How is the world going to know about the greatness of God without committed Christians? Our problem is not a lack of display of the power of God, the miracles of God, or the anointing of God; God is ready to do his part. He’s just waiting for somebody to get into the furnace. He’s looking for people who are totally committed, people whose purpose goes beyond their own abilities. There is a relationship between our willingness to die for God and his willingness to deliver us.

A third result of our commitment is that
God will bless our lives
. The king caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon, according to Daniel 3:30.

Ordinary people can make an extraordinary impact on their own world. The secret lies in being totally committed to the cause of Jesus Christ. If you read the biographies of great men, you’ll become convinced of a couple of things very quickly. One, all great men struggle; all great men have a fiery furnace in their lives. The second thing is that the degree of their commitment is what really makes them great. They weren’t smarter, they weren’t faster, and they weren’t better educated; they were more committed.

How do we develop commitment in our lives? From the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, we can pull out several principles.

Commitment usually begins in an atmosphere of struggle
. Very seldom do we see strong commitment arise out of a context of prosperity. Squandered time, wasted living, and distorted values may come out of prosperity, but commitment does not. The three Jews were captives in another land, with new customs, new surroundings, new values, and different priorities. It was for them an atmosphere of struggle.

Winston Churchill really achieved greatness during the struggle of World War II. His finest hour was the hour of confrontation, the hour of challenge. After the war he became an average prime minister, but not a great one. As Churchill was anticipating the fall of France in 1940, he said, “The battle of France is over; I expect the battle of Britain is about to begin. Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization.… Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will say, this was their finest hour.”

Forty-five years later, nine out of ten people would probably say that Britain’s finest hour came in the days of Churchill’s leadership during World War II. Commitment usually begins in dark hours.

Commitment doesn’t depend on abilities or gifts
. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were among many good-looking and intelligent youths chosen for special training, according to Daniel 1:3–4. But I like to think they weren’t really chosen for those qualities. Rather, they were chosen because of their commitment.

Commitment is the result of choice; it’s not a condition
. People do not make great commitments because their conditions are right. People make great commitments because they choose to do right in spite of the conditions. In Daniel 1:8, it says, “But Daniel made up his mind.”

The moment that Daniel made up his mind, the moment that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego made up their minds to serve God—that was their great moment. That’s the moment God lifted them up. God blessed them because they chose commitment.

Commitment starts with the little things in our lives
. No one ever made a big commitment without first making little commitments. It’s a lot like learning to walk; we gain new confidence with each step. When we see that God blesses our small commitments, we begin to trust him with bigger ones.