Fast Like DanielSample

Play Offense

Today is a total setup. 

You’ve been doing your Daniel thing, hitting your reading plan, and making room for God persistently in prayer by praying three times a day—and those very things are going to cause your enemies to show their face.

I am, of course, describing the life of Daniel. You’re about to read how Daniel’s enemies created a setup, and he walked right into it. They’re getting everything they wanted. Daniel is headed for a fall—right into the lions’ den.

Can’t you see them snapping pics of him on their phones and posting it on Instagram and Facebook, sharing stories on Snapchat, and even posting it on Twitter with a Crying Jordan face on Daniel with the hashtag #LionsDen #CatchMeInside? 

Except for one little thing: the moment of their greatest victory was God’s moment of creating unmatched opportunity for Daniel. Total setup!

You’re going to see that the king of a pagan nation has been so influenced by God’s power in Daniel’s life that he prays and fasts for Daniel. Can you believe it??? How is that even possible?

I believe it’s because Daniel let his defense setup his offense.

The 2017 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors used their suffocating defense to help spark their offense. Every time they stopped the opposing team’s play, blocked a shot, or forced a turnover, they raced down the floor to try to get easy points before their opponents could get ready. 

They didn’t just play defense, hoping to keep the other team from scoring; they used their defense to create opportunities for their offense.

Here’s the translation for the Christian life: it’s not enough to just try to keep from becoming like the world. You’ve got to let your differences shine so brightly to those around you that it creates an opportunity for God to show off.

We cannot change the world while hiding; we’ve got to be out there in it. When our lives are different because we have peace or joy in the middle of trouble, it’s the perfect opportunity to turn defense into offense by showing them who our God is and how He’s working in our lives. 

Real stars don’t compete with other stars because they understand there is room in the sky for everyone to shine. 

Is your defense creating opportunities for your offense? If not, it’s time to tweak your playbook.