One very admirable thing about the life of Daniel was his relevance, both earthly and eternal relevance. He and David were perfect examples of the royal priesthood.

Daniel’s life made so much sense that as a slave boy, he grew in ranks in a kingdom that wasn’t his. He wasn’t just talented, he was skilled and had strength of character. I have not stopped wondering what kind of person this dude was. In today’s church, most young men like Daniel would have spent their time running around the church, prophesying, interpreting people’s dreams and boasting of God’s call. They would have stopped at priesthood. But Daniel went beyond that. He illustrated what it means to dominate a mountain of influence. Daniel was of royal descent, which may have contributed to his comfort in political affairs. That, notwithstanding, he understood his gifts were useful anywhere; in his father’s kingdom, in church, in captivity; anywhere. This mindset changed everything. The king of Babylon at that time, only needed royal boys who would serve in his kingdom, maybe as councillors or Politician-wannabes. In Daniel, he found more. He found a prime minister, law-maker and prophet. In Daniel, the Israelites found a priest and judge. How much can be found in you?

In this article, I’ll share how I believe Daniel gained so much relevance in Babylon and his generation. You can pick a few very useful ways to build earthly relevance as a Christian.

He Had An Unshakable Conviction

Recall when he and the three Hebrew boys were served the king’s food. It wasn’t such a big deal, you know. He would have said God will understand and that he didn’t have a choice but that wasn’t the case. He was less bothered about whether he was automatically placing himself on an everlasting vegetable fast. His priority was pleasing God, satisfying his conscience, affirming his conviction and glorifying God. Every time Daniel stood by his conviction, God showed up and he was promoted. He grew in fame and influence so much so that the kings honoured him and his God.

Decisiveness

It takes a made-up mind to damn consequences and risk the things that matter for something you are not sure of. Decisions are risks and they determine destinies. Daniel was a very decisive young man and his destiny was determined by his decisions per time. It’s quite unfortunate that indecisiveness is a result of instability, and unstable people don’t make progress because they are double-minded. Hence, rather than consistently taking steps forward, they take one step forward, a few steps backwards and many other steps around a circle. Since leadership is all about influence, decision-making is key and every leader must make decisions. Instead of making decisions unconsciously, become intentional and rational about decision-making. 

Boldness and Audacity of Faith

Success and timidity don’t cross paths. The righteous are as bold as a lion because destiny results are only achieved through faith and courage. Remember: life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage (Anais Nin). In Daniel’s case, life did not shrink, it expanded. I mean, how can someone move from being a slave boy to being among the 3 most prominent men in the most powerful kingdom at that time? He expanded his life with his boldness! You can too!

He didn’t feel unworthy of being used by God and he never looked down on his calling, gifts or abilities

I have seen an evil under the sun (in King Solomon’s voice). It’s amazing how many graced people feel bad for being graced. Sometimes, it’s a result of their weaknesses and inadequacies; other times, it’s just an unhealthy feeling of humility and unrealistic expectation that life will be fair and give equal opportunities to all. Such people tend to apologise for having what others don’t have and try to bring themselves to the level of others so that they can be accepted by them. This, unfortunately is not God’s design. Imagine if the man with five talents kept 4 or 3 so that he would be equal with the others and not outshine them (Hmm! May God help His children!)! Daniel was unapologetic about his gifts and used them for God’s glory.

He was never afraid to stand alone or lose his life for God

In a world where everyone is under some sort of pressure—the pressure of social media, peers, family, etc, it’s quite difficult to walk alone. The fear of rejection, name-calling, loneliness, persecution, etc is just crippling. [I wonder what will happen with the mark of the beast]. Well, sometimes, standing alone is the only way to stand apart. Losing your life and everything you own, just like Paul said, is not loss but gain. Daniel chose this path and see where it got him.

Excellence

Excellence is not perfectionism. Excellence is about processes and outcome. It is efficiency + effectiveness. Excellent people go the extra mile to achieve commendable results and most times, exceed expectations. Excellence speaks of character and approach. It comes with a sense of satisfaction and peace, knowing that you gave yourself wholly to a course. Because excellence is attractive, it has the ability to promote one to relevance and influence.

He was exceptional at relating with men

I don’t know how Daniel was able to rise so high without stepping on toes. Or maybe he did because of his commitment to God. However, that’s just people being humans. In reality, there was no record of troubles with people. I believe he was a people person who successfully built and sustained the relationships around him. It was clear in his relationship with the 3 Hebrew boys, the Prince of the Eunuchs, Melzar and Arioch, Captain of  the king’s guards.

You can have an amazingly impactful and influential life by building the above qualities and more.