“Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.” Daniel 6:4Yesterday, Ben and I were asked to start teaching the Middle School Bible Study Class on Sunday mornings. Thankfully, the lesson was on Daniel and the Lion’s Den so we were already familiar with the story, but isn’t it funny when you read a story for the millionth time and still learn something new?
One thing we discussed in class was using Daniel’s example of keeping a good reputation. The people around him tried to find fault with Daniel and bring him down, but his impeccable reputation prevailed. So why did Daniel get thrown into the lion’s den? He prayed! Praying to the One True God instead of just the king is what landed him into a world of trouble. We know the rest of the story. The king came back the next day to find Daniel completely unharmed by the lions because God found him innocent and protected him.
The lesson to be learned is to keep a good reputation by always being kind and doing the right thing so when people try to blame you for something, they will be unable to do so.
Today, it randomly dawned on me that it was the 13th of the month, and I had not paid my rent yet. Trying not to go into panic mode, I drove straight to the property manager’s office. They have a new manager that does not know me, and I apologized and explained to her that I have never once been late on my rent. I told her my boss’s husband just passed away, and I’ve been so focused on my boss, my work, and the biggest fundraiser of the year, that it never crossed my mind to pay rent.
The new manager could not have been any nicer and completely understood the situation then she told me that when she realized I was late, she checked back at my past records and noticed that I had never paid late before. She said she had a feeling that something was wrong, and she decided not to charge me a late fee, which she had every right to do. I was so thankful for her kindness and understanding.
When I got back in the car, I smiled when I thought about Daniel and his reputation. Reputation is not just what others think about you. Your reputation also includes how dependable you are, your actions, and your habits. Because I have always been dependable on paying rent on time, the manager saw the extenuating circumstances and showed my kindness to me. Apparently, this isn’t just a lesson for middle schoolers.
