Gaining the Respect and Affection of Others

 Relationships matter. That was the theme for our church for a year or two. I was trying to show our people that if they neglected their relationships or if they had bad relationships with others, they would not have the life God desired for them to have. We are made in God's image. Part of that is the ability to have relationships. God said from the very beginning that it was not good for man to be alone. That doesn't just apply to marriage. It is a general life principle.

Daniel was taken into captivity by the Babylonians because he was a smart, good looking young man. The king wanted him and his three friends to be trained for three years, so they could be some of his advisors. God had a plan for Daniel's life, too. (Daniel 1:9) "Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel." In other words, the chief of staff noticed the difference in Daniel as compared to the other men. It led him to respect him and have affection for him, so they had a good relationship.

God gave the chief of staff the respect and affection for Daniel, but it was not given without the aid of Daniel's actions. He was drawn to respect Daniel because he saw the qualities which cause a person to respect others. Daniel was humble, trustworthy, and respectful to the chief of staff. God pointed those things out to the chief of staff, so that he admired Daniel. I think we need to ask ourselves if we have the respect of the people who know us the best. If not, we need to do our part, and ask God to show us what to do, so He can give others respect for us.

The same goes for having the affection of other people. We have to be caring and affectionate to them. They have to see a genuine compassion for them and others. Then, they will be drawn to us. God can work on their hearts and give them affection for us, so we can have strong, deep relationships with others. Then, when we need to make a request from others around us like Daniel did, they will be inclined to hear our request and grant it. That makes life so much easier and better for us and for others around us. 

Tomorrow, I intend to read Daniel 2-4.

I will just be posting my blog on my Facebook page starting today.