The voices are passionate—some thunder and shriek. Should I comply even though I know it’s wrong? Who am I to take a stand? Instead, I cover my ears as the chorus rises to deafening levels. Then I hear His still, small voice. Sometimes it seems almost impossible to live a faithful life surrounded by worldly influences. The moment you resist one thing, another crafty invitation emerges. We all want to strengthen our faith. But how can we set our mind to serving the Lord wholeheartedly with so many things tempting us to do the exact opposite?

Why is living a faithful life important?

Faithfulness means operating by a standard of living devoted to God. It includes submitting your will to your Heavenly Father and allowing him to control your life. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” So it is the fulfillment of our desires and proof of things we haven’t experienced with our physical senses. 

Faithfulness is significant because God is faithful—he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and we are to be like him. When you’re devoted to God, it transforms the way you live. This commitment is the first step to living a faithful life. 1 Peter 4:19  notes that we must dedicate ourselves to the creator and continue to do good. Entrusting your life to God requires building a lifestyle upon kingdom values. These values include but aren’t limited to prayer, helping others, showing love, and dedicating your talents and resources to His purpose. 

Why is it so hard to remain faithful?

The journey of faith isn’t easy, but it’s essential because faith is the foundation of everything that makes life worth living. Unbelief, fear, doubt, sin—the temptation to be unfaithful and the comfort of bondage are just a few things that keep us from remaining committed to Christ. We forget what God has done for us; look at the Israelites. Due to their lack of faith, it took them forty years to make a journey that should have taken eleven days.

For me, the strongest deterrent to consistent, faithful living has been fear. I’ve often worried about how others would react. Will they accept me, or will I be on the receiving end of someone’s cruel joke? So in the past, instead of taking action, I found myself stuck. Completely immobilized and unusable by God—the thing I wanted the most (even though I didn’t know it at the time).

No one likes to be the lone wolf baying at the moon. Speaking up can be difficult, especially if you are the only one willing to say or try something new. We remain silent for several reasons. Sometimes speaking out disrupts the culture of the environment. If your opinion is unpopular, you may face pushback or friction from a larger group. You could lose friends or even job opportunities. I was constantly afraid of what could happen. But the truth is, if God calls me to take a stand, then I’m not doing that alone. He is right there with me. Christ has gone before me, covering me, so there is no need to fear. Whenever my faith wavers, I tell myself two things: do not be afraid and continue moving forward. You’ll understand how to live a faithful life when you trust in him. (see Proverbs 3:5-6)

If you’re interested in developing discipline and steadfast faith, Daniel is a great book to explore. Daniel tells a story of hope and faithfulness in the face of persecution. Written by Daniel himself, his life is one of integrity, discipline, and unshakable devotion. The book has key moments where Daniel and his friends refuse to reject God’s way, despite enormous pressure from the culture at that time. We will look at two instances today: when Daniel and his friends refused to eat King Nebuchadnezzar’s food and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.

The kings food

When Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, boys from influential families of Judah were brought to Babylon to serve in the palace. Among them were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. The palace gave the boys Babylonian names. Daniel’s new name was Belteshazzar, Hananiah’s was Shadrach, Mishael’s was Meshach, and Azariah’s was Abednego. 

The palace provided the young men with a certain amount of food and wine daily—the same kind of food that the king ate. However, Daniel did not want to consume the king’s food and wine because it would make him unclean. So he asked Ashpenaz, the man in charge of the king’s officials, for permission to undergo testing for ten days. Daniel and his friends would only eat vegetables and drink water during this time. Then Daniel requested a comparison with the other young men—this was a bold move by Daniel. 

After ten days, Daniel and his friends looked healthier than all the young men who ate the king’s food. Their physical health improved, and God gave these four young men the wisdom to learn many different kinds of writing and science. Daniel could also understand visions and dreams. (see Daniel 1:15-17)

Daniel stuck to his principles. His faith took precedence in this new, strange land and was unwavering. Sometimes faith requires boldness. Proverbs 31:8-9 says believers should speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, help people in trouble, and stand up for what they know is right. 

Followers of Christ are to live so that others can see God’s goodness and glorify him. (see Matthew 5:14-16) Do you take a stand for righteousness when it is unpopular? What is the cost of not standing for Christ? 

The fiery furnace

There came a time when King Nebuchadnezzar built a gold idol of himself and commanded the people to bow down and worship his idol. Whoever didn’t worship would immediately be thrown into a fiery furnace. So when Nebuchadnezzar discovered that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down and honor the gold idol, he became outraged. He called for the boys, who told the king, “If you throw us into the hot furnace, the God we serve can save us. And if he wants to, he can save us from your power. But even if God does not save us, we want you to know, King, that we refuse to serve your gods. We will not worship the gold idol you have set up.” 

The boys’ response stoked Nebuchadnezzar’s rage, and he ordered the oven to be heated seven times hotter than usual. He then told the soldiers to throw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the furnace. Yet, the men weren’t consumed by the flames and were joined by a fourth man—possibly an angel or a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire unharmed. Nebuchadnezzar was amazed and said, “Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Their God has sent his angel and saved his servants from the fire!” 

The three men trusted God and refused to obey the king. They would die before they served any other god. The actions of the three men allowed the king to see God’s power. He acknowledged that “No other god can save his people like this.” (see Daniel 3:29). Their faith influenced the king and all the people of Babylon.

Your faith and others

Adding your voice to a difficult issue isn’t easy, but as a Christian, it is often necessary. How do you act in different situations? Are you consistent with your faith, or are you a chameleon—trying to fit in with everyone around you? Stop for a minute and think about how you act:

• around church friends
• with family
• while at work 
• around strangers
• with non-Christians

Remember that your demonstration of faith impacts others. Proverbs 2:7-8 says that the Lord guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Regardless of the pressure, hold fast to the things that are right in the sight of the Lord. What would you risk for what you believe?

RELATED: 11 Prayers For Strength During Difficult Times

Continue reading for 17 bible verses on living a faithful life:

1. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1:17 (NIV)
2. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 (NIV)
3. So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6 (ESV)
4. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NKJV)
5. The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 (NKJV)
6. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
7. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Acts 4:29 (NIV)
8. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13 (NIV)
9. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. James 4:17 (ESV)
10. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)
11. Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (NKJV)
12. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV) 
13. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,    and your right hand delivers me. Psalms 138:7 (ESV)
14. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 (NIV)
15. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 (NKJV)
16. The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. Proverbs 28:1 (NIV)
17. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 (NIV)

Finally

The book of Daniel provides a great example of how to live a faithful life. In this post, we’ve covered key moments where Daniel and his friends exhibited faithfulness in the face of persecution. We explored when Daniel and his friends refused to eat King Nebuchadnezzar’s food and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s experience in the fiery furnace. Daniel’s devotion to God led him. Regardless of his surroundings, his faith was steadfast. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were willing to sacrifice their lives before worshiping any other god. Their persistent actions allowed Nebuchadnezzar to see God’s glory, ultimately impacting the king and all the Babylonians. Regardless of the circumstances, Daniel and his friends fearlessly stood up for what was right. They knew God’s way was, and still is, the best way. 

Christians have a call to be trustworthy and enduring in their faith. Whether committing to a morning quiet time with Jesus or fighting against the world’s many injustices, it’s not easy but essential. What is “right” is not about our feelings. The Lord declares what is right in his Word. He requires that we love one another and keep his laws written on our hearts; so that we may discern right from wrong. How do you practice faithfulness? Has living faithfully impacted your life? Please let me know in the comments.