A Case Study in Conflict Resolution

 

Daily Reading:  Daniel 2:1 – 30

Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

                                                            Daniel 2:20

               There will be times in our lives where we find ourselves in serious trouble.  Sadly, sometimes those wounds are self-inflicted.  Other times, circumstances are beyond our control.  We did nothing to cause this situation, and yet here we are. How will you react, or better yet, how will you respond?  The difference between reacting and responding is about 3 seconds.  It is always better to respond.

               Daniel found himself in serious trouble, none of which he caused.  In fact, up until this moment, he was one of a handful of Israelite slaves living in Babylon who chose to not eat the king’s meat.  Most  Israelite men chose to just go along…to comply. Daniel ordered his life in obedience to God’s commands.  Now he faced execution at the hands of an angry king through no fault of his own.

               Daniel’s response throughout this predicament should be a case study for us all.  He begins by meeting the problem head on with, “counsel and wisdom” (Daniel 2:14).  He did not run around to everyone else to talk about the problem or put off talking to the people involved while gathering support.  No, he met his executioner and talked with him.  Arioch, the man tasked with executing the wise men of Babylon, then sent Daniel directly to the king to plead his case.  Again, Daniel did not shy away from this responsibility. Men need to learn to not run from problems.  That just leads to more of a problem that someone else may have to deal with.  It is an act of cowardice.

               Daniel is given time by the king, and his next move needs to be etched in our minds.  Daniel and his friends pray for the mercy of God (Daniel 2:17 – 18).  So often, people say, “All I can do is pray”.  What should be said is, “All I need to do is pray.”

               In Daniel’s situation, God answered quickly.  That is not always the case.  What is more important was Daniel’s response.  Daniel 2:19 ends with, “Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”  Daniel understood who alone deserved all the honor, glory and praise. Do you?