When Life Turns Against You, Choose Excellence | John Giftah | Christian Sermon

0:01 Speaker 1: Do you ever look around and think, Wow, the world is a crazy place and it just seems to get crazier and crazier. Ease your mind and take a break. This is Fuel for the Soul with John GIFTA. We're a hub for inspirational Christian sermons, practical keys for Christian living, in Christian discussions and interviews. You'll be inspired to live the life that you were created for. Your host is a top ranking podcaster, best selling author, world record holder, aerospace engineer, life coach, evangelist, and founder of John GIFTA International.

0:41 Speaker 1: Welcome to Fuel for the Soul with John GIFTA.

0:46 Speaker 2: Hey, God forcial. It's such a joy for me to be with all of you today on this segment of the Fuel for the Soul with John Gifter podcast. When I'm going to talk to you today on an important lesson that we can take from Daniel Chapter one. I wanted to understand this is a moment when the King of Babylon to Jerusalem and he took all the you know, a lot of things from there, and also the scriptures talks about it, especially if you'll look at worse for a lot of young men without any physical defect were ransom, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king's palace were also taken.

1:22 Speaker 2: Here's the thing I wanted to understand that. It was not the you know, like the downtrodden or the ones who were not that good, or the ones who were the you know, quote unquote poor or written off West society. It was not those people the underprivileged. It was the ones at the top, were the ones who were really good, the ones who were in the nobility and the royal family. It was of that category of young men who were taken. I wanted to understand that because sometimes we think that, you know what, I'm in a betout of place.

1:58 Speaker 2: I'm sure I'm not going to get into trouble. You know, maybe if somebody is getting affected, it's somebody who is Maybe, for instance, if you're saying in a country where the borders are at stake, so you may be saying, you know what, maybe people in the border region will be affected, not me. Or maybe you're saying if I'm serving in a certain kind of capacity, then I will be affected not me. But yess a situation where you say, like for example, even economically. You know, maybe you say, oh, the economy is that the ones who are struggling financially the other ones who are going to be affected.

2:29 Speaker 2: But here you see in a situation where it was not those people who were affected or who were taken captive, it was those of the royal family, of the nobility. So that means you have to understand that Daniel and his friends we're not from just like, you know, the normal category of people, but they were people who were in like, you know, influential in nobility and uh in the royal uh you know, you know, like what you say, the ones who were rubbing shoulders with royalty and you know all of that. Like, so I wanted to understand that Daniel was no ordinary guy or even as friends Shadrack, Micha and Abdego, they were also not just ordinary people.

3:13 Speaker 2: So here's the thing I wanted to understand that you don't ever think that you are you are in a position where you know what I'm saying, nothing will have touched me because I'm I built so much of money or financial stability. I built so much in my life. I've achieved so much, so I know that I cannot be brought out because you never know when you could be in the position that Daniel and the friends were. And what I wanted to understand is they had, like I said, they were in royalty, shoulders with royalty, they were among the top class and all of these things.

3:51 Speaker 2: Now from that position of privilege, they are now taking captive. They were taken captive in a foreign place. Now, Yes, the thing I wanted to understand, right, they had all the reasons to never put their best foot forward in this. They had all the reasons to sit in self pity. They had all the reasons to not put in their best effort. There are all the reasons why they do not have to be showcasing the spirit of excellence or walking in integrity. They could have walked with the chip on their shoulder.

4:27 Speaker 2: They could have had a bad attitude. They could have always complained. But you see, if you see right across in the first chapter, or even through this entire book, you realize that Daniel and his friends never complained, even though it was unfair for them, even though they could have been missing their family, they could have gone through a lot of emotional toil. But even in the midst of that, you see that Daniel and his friends stood out. They went the extra mile. They had the spirit of ag they were in it.

5:02 Speaker 2: Do not, you know, not do it in a very how do I say this, you know, shallow way, with their heart not in it. You know, they did wholeheartedly in such a way that the king saw that they were ten times better off than everybody else. At the end of their three year training period. You know, the King was looking at it and said, you know what, this is so good, like how is this possible? And even through if you notice, even through this book, you realize so many instances where Daniel was promoted or even shadowed Michigan Habenegor.

5:43 Speaker 2: They always stood out because they were in a position where they honored God, in the midst of captivity, in the midst of the situation being unfair. They always stood take around and did what was right. They did not walk with a chip on their shoulder. They did not have a bad attitude. They did not sit and complain. They did not wait for the time then they'll go back. They knew this is where I am. Let me do my best here, let me shine here, let me go the extra mind. Because I've seen in situations, for example, students when they're forced into courses they don't want to do.

6:17 Speaker 2: Right, what happens. They are having this attitude like, you know what, I didn't want to do this. My family forced me into this, so I'm not going to do my best, and they put themselves in trouble days for their future, and they put their family in trouble as well, you know, like sometimes especially in India, with the families forcing their children to do engineering. I've seen this a lot, you know, I'm an aerospace engineer, and I've seen students who did not want to do engineering. They would be forced by family and they used to have twenty one backlocks, thirty backlocks for many years after the batch passed out, day would still not pass out because of this, you know, I've seen that, like because their attitude is always like I didn't want to do this, I'm not interested in it is I'm not.

7:03 Speaker 2: But what my challenge is, even if you are in a position or in a place, or a course, or you're doing something that you're not interested, put your whole heart into it to honor God. To put your whole heart into that job, even if you don't like it, do your best to honor God, and God knows how to reward you. God knows how to bless you. God knows how to take you to the next higher levels of your destiny. So that's my challenge. I want to leave with you and I will see back in the next segment. God bless you.

7:33 Speaker 1: You've been listening to Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta, we hope you were blessed and inspired to live the life that God has for you. Make sure to subscribe to the John gifted YouTube channel for regular uploads of sermons, skits, interviews and more. Follow John Gifta on Instagram for regular inspirational posts, and don't forget to check out the best selling books written by John Gifta, Who Am I which will help you under stand your identity and the latest number one best seller Unveil your Purpose, helping you discover your purpose and to start walking in it.

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