FOMO

“But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.” – Daniel 1:8 

As we discussed yesterday, Daniel was an overcomer. Daniel was able to live a courageous life because he overcame fear. What fears did he overcome, you might ask? Well, first, he overcame the fear of missing out.  

Today, we call this FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out. With social media, there are many people who are constantly judging what they are doing against what others are posting. For some, it creates discouragement or fear…fear that we are missing out on doing something our friends or family are getting to have or experience. 

So how did Daniel handle FOMO? Here is what we know about Daniel…most likely because of his elite upbringing, he was quickly identified as being special, gifted, and smart. So as a chosen servant of the king, he was placed in some sort of educational system where he was taught the ways of the Babylonian culture, and he was provided a food diet that would have been like the King’s diet. 

Daniel 1:5 says, “The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.” But as you keep reading, verse 8 says, “But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods.”  

Daniel did this because the food was 1) considered unclean according to Old Testament dietary laws and 2) the first portions of the king’s food were typically offered to idols before everyone else ate their portion. This meant they would have been indirectly worshipping the false gods of the Babylonians. 

Here is what I want you to see today. In this passage, Daniel and his three friends chose to miss out on temporary pleasures in order to be faithful to God. They could have stuffed their faces and completely compromised their convictions. But instead, they displayed courage and remained faithful to God.  

Do you have a FOMO? Does what you would be “missing out” on align with God’s will? If not, it may be time to display courage AGAINST the FOMO. What Daniel “missed out” on, He was ultimately blessed for. God will always honor you for obeying Him!  

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bible verse

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

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