Daniel 1:8-16

If you’ve been married any length of time then you and your spouse have disagreed at one point in time or another. How you handle that disagreement makes all the difference. Today we’ll address the wives.

You’ll find that these principles work in any situation where a person desires to change the direction of things, but has not been given the responsibility or authority to do it.

Desire to please God & Keep Your Conscience Pure

• Daniel purposed in his heart (Daniel 1:8) – Check your heart first
• Opinions tend to be contentious. Be sure its not just an opinion that will lead to contention.
  • Proverbs 13:10 – Contention is created.
  • Proverbs 17:14 – Contention takes more effort to stop it than to start it.
• Scriptural convictions will be heard by God

Respect God’s Order

• therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself (Daniel 1:8)
• Daniel didn’t make threats to Melzar. That would’ve been a disaster.
  • Daniel didn’t seek to go over Melzar’s head.
  • Daniel dealt with the order of things as they were.
• Honor your husband’s position because he bears the responsibility before God
  • Even more so, you’ve chosen to commit to this man, so this is not a circumstance you’ve been forced into like Daniel.
  • You can’t ask God to bless something while you’re disregarding His words
  • Never do wrong in order to get a chance to do right.

Choose Humility not Ultimatum

• I beseech thee…(Daniel 1:12)
• Be careful because your carnal mind believes that in order to affect change a force of will must be present
• But Romans 2:4 tells you something different
  • as though seest, deal with thy servants… (Daniel 1:13)
  • resolve beforehand to accept the decision
  • Remember you vowed, “for better for worse”
• Give God an opportunity to work.
  • 1 Peter 3:1-6
  • Don’t make an offensive or a demand or ultimatum aimed at the person God’s given responsibility to.

Limited Appeal

• prove thy servants ten days… (Daniel 1:12)
• Figure a time frame to work in and limit your “experiment”
• The idle threat of “never” and “always – , “I’m never going to do it this way again!” or “You’re always doing that!” is just fodder for fighting