Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.

Daniel 6:3-4

Hero: a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

You’ve heard the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den, but the miracle of being saved from the lions is actually a secondary storyline. This week we will consider the life of a genuine hero, a man whose life is characterized by his willingness to stand for what he believed even when it put his life in danger.

In the verses above, Daniel’s character is on full display. According to the men who would describe themselves as Daniel’s enemies, there was no “ground for even a single charge of corruption against Daniel. No error. No-fault. No fatal flaw in his character. Nothing. Daniel was a man who could be depended on to be trustworthy in every aspect of his life.

In the world we live in, there is much hero-worship of sorts. I have a friend who wears red and black on Sundays if his favorite golfer is competing for a championship. There are others who adore a particular celebrity or musician. Today’s heroes are flawed people just like us.

But It is remarkable to me that the accolades Daniel received were from his competitors and while there was plenty of envy and jealousy on their part, Daniel never complained about the others.

And then I think of me and how I am probably much more like the “bad guys” in this story than Daniel, but that’s why his life is an example and a challenge for me. How about you?