Daniel and the path of success

One of my favorite figures in the Hebrew Scriptures is Daniel, because his life illustrates success based on the development of spiritual qualities. He demonstrates the integrity and moral courage required to live and thrive in a materialistic society.

Daniel loved God above all else, and strove to obey Him in everything he did. Daniel wasn’t satisfied with the mere appearance of good. He earnestly strove to be good. Because of his desire to be good through and through, and to express excellence in everything he did, he was highly favored by King Nebuchadnezzar.

He recognized the outstanding contribution Daniel was making, and praised him for it. But Daniel wasn’t fooled into thinking he was working for the king; he knew he was working to please God.

As often happens in politics, several princes conspired to displace Daniel because his excellence was making them look bad. Daniel didn’t play the “Who will be greatest?” game, as the princes did—he wasn’t motivated by a competitive drive to outshine them or to compare his progress against theirs. Instead, he constantly consulted God and diligently sought to express integrity, intelligence, and excellence in everything he did. His only desire was for godliness, so he was not distracted, like the princes, by the pursuit of material status and place.

In an attempt to eliminate the “competition” that Daniel’s success represented, the jealous princes implored the unwitting king to sign a law that everyone must worship him under penalty of death. Daniel could not forsake his allegiance to God, so he was put in a lions’ den. But God protected him from the hungry creatures. Daniel then went on to faithfully serve the king, who declared that everyone was to worship God the way Daniel did.

I have always found Daniel’s courage in the face of social pressure so inspiring. He could have just acquiesced or pretended to go along with the king’s law. Instead, he chose to stand alone in obedience to God’s laws.

Admittedly, it’s not always easy to follow spiritual paths, because they don’t necessarily guarantee what society values—a larger house, a fancier car, a more prestigious job title. Sometimes it takes great courage and resolve to stand up to the politicking and manipulation that are part of the fierce pursuit of material goals of many kinds.

My first recognition of the inadequacy of a human definition of success came during my freshman year of college. In high school, I had been very goal-oriented. I’d worked hard to receive high grades, and had joined several clubs to make sure I got into a really good college—and it wasn’t long before I got what I thought I most wanted.

But it wasn’t as good a feeling as I’d expected, so I asked myself: “Is this it? I’m only 18! What comes next? Do I simply press on in pursuit of more scholastic prizes and then high-profile, well-paid jobs? Or is there actually more to life? Is there a better, higher road to take?”

Along with my disillusionment about my life goals, came a great deal of distress, which my family felt unable to handle. In an effort to help me, my unreligious father suggested I turn to God for answers. I decided to return to the Christian Science Sunday School I had sporadically attended as a child.

It took my breath away to find how quickly my perspectives changed as I began to explore and cultivate an understanding of my relationship with God. Up to that point, I simply hadn’t been aware of the role He played in my life.

Through daily study of Science and Health, I began to understand who God was, who I was, and how to listen for God’s direction. I realized that He was always with me, loving and guiding me. God wanted only good for me and everyone.

God speaks gently, consistently, and constantly to each of us, showing us who we are and what He wants us to do. God loves each of us and gives each of us abundant good. There is no competition for resources, because God’s resources and blessings are infinite.

Over the years since then, I’ve learned to really trust God’s guidance and goodness, and acknowledge them moment by moment, instead of trying to live up (or down!) to conventional concepts of success. It’s become clearer to me that to choose a spiritual path doesn’t mean forsaking success. It means that success is based on the pursuit and accomplishment of spiritual goals. As Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Since my initial exploration in college of my spiritual relationship with God, I have had many opportunities to improve my concept of success. In one of my first teaching jobs, I worked with some teachers who were—in my opinion—very competitive and critical. As I prayed about the situation, I thought about Daniel’s wonderful example.

Instead of focusing on how well I was doing in comparison with the other teachers, I strove to develop my own concept of excellent teaching and to work to achieve that ideal. I learned to concentrate on the joy of expressing excellence instead of on obtaining external honors or outshining others.

Over the years, I have learned that true success doesn’t come from advancing in some human hierarchy, but from drawing closer to God and expressing more and more of His qualities, and helping others do the same.

I’m now more convinced than ever that when you’re faced with difficult, compromising situations—or “princes” trying to usurp your place—you can become very quiet inside and listen for God’s direction. He will show you what to do, and will give you the strength and courage to do it. As you learn to hear, heed, and follow God’s direction, you will achieve success and happiness that is lasting and truly satisfying. You won’t be fooled into pursuing a path that’s detrimental to your own well-being or that of others. As Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Science and Health, “... whatever blesses one, blesses all ....”

If you feel pressured by other opinions that say you’re taking a wrong turn, you can humbly turn to God, who will help you sort through the different perspectives to see the divine logic and will. Like Daniel, you can learn to stand alone with God. This puts you firmly on the road that leads to true success and happiness.

Kathryn Jones Dunton is a Christian Science practitioner in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States.

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