Cause and Effect
By Grant Gaines
Do you know how the Union won the American Civil War? While the answer could get as complicated as you would like, the turning point of the war really came down to one simple mistake by Confederate commander Daniel Harvey Hill. What did Hill do? He simply misplaced “Special Order 191” which he had received from General Robert E. Lee. No, Special Order 191 was not a to-go order from McDonalds, it was the Confederate’s move-by-move strategy for the decisive Battle of Antietam. And as you probably have guessed by now, the Union found this Special Order 191 that Hill misplaced and were able to successfully use it against the Confederate army at the Battle of Antietam, thus swinging the war drastically in their favor.
This story is simply following The Law of Cause and Effect—every effect must have a cause, and every cause must have an effect. In this story, the “cause” was Hill losing Special Order 191 which led to the “effect” of the Union knowing every move the Confederacy was going to make. But The Law of Cause and Effect is not only reserved for major events such as wars, it is also applied to our own lives.
Every word, every thought, and every action that you do is the “cause” that will surly lead to an “effect”. And just as in the Civil War, something as small and simple as losing some papers can result in the most colossal of outcomes. Daniel and his buddies—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—knew a little something about this.
When you think of those four men, what are the first stories that pop into your mind? Certainly the first thing you think of when you hear the names “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” is their deliverance from the fiery furnace in Daniel 3. And when you think of “Daniel”, likely the first story that pops into your mind is Daniel surviving the lions’ den in Daniel 6.
These are the stories we all grew up hearing in Sunday school, they are stories we reenacted in our church plays, and they are the stories that defined these men’s lives. But before Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could stand up under the pressure of the fiery furnace and before Daniel could escape the lions’ den, the men first needed to prove their devotion to the Lord in the small things—they needed a “cause” that would later result in them surviving these miraculous deliverances. And this is where Daniel 1 comes into play.
Not only is Daniel 1 the introduction to the book and the life of the prophet Daniel, the chapter is also an extremely significant event in these four men’s lives. After being taken captive as young teenagers from their homeland of Israel to the foreign country of Babylon, the four companions along with a multitude of their peers were placed into a strict and structured leadership training program in Babylon.
They were taught military tactics, business strategies, and agricultural techniques from the wisest teachers Babylon had to offer. The program’s goal was to raise up the best and brightest young men Israel had to offer so they could serve before the king of Babylon all the days of their life. Only a few would be chosen for this prestigious position and the rest of the young Israelites would presumably be subjected to slave labor with the rest of their fellow Israelites or even possibly death.
As a part of their training regiment, the Israelites were fed the finest foods Babylon had to offer. There was only one problem—the Israelites were not allowed to eat the finest food that Babylon had to offer because it conflicted with the eating regulations given by God during the exodus (Leviticus 11).
At this point, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had a choice to make. They could either submit to the Babylonian rule by buckling to the pressure of their peers around them who were indulging in the “ceremoniously unclean” (or food that was specifically spoken against by God in the Old Testament) or they could stand their ground and risk their lives over something as small as food.
Fortunately the men chose to make their stand by refusing to eat the unclean food that was presented to them. As a result, God not only blessed them immediately by allowing them to find favor in the eyes of the king (Daniel 1:18-20), He also allowed this minor decision to be the catalyst of the men’s faith which sustained them through the fiery furnace and lions’ den.
For Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it all started with a small decision to stand for the Lord. For the Civil War, it all started with a misplaced piece of paper. The same could be said about you.
God tells us in Ephesians 5:16 (NIV) to, “make the most of every opportunity…” because He knows that the way you treat the cashier at the end of the long line at the grocery store is eventually how you’re going to treat your spouse. He knows that how you spend your free time when no one is watching is eventually going to become your character. And He knows that even the smallest action is simply a “cause” that will lead to an “effect” that will either help you or haunt you in the future.
The entire story of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego can be summed up with one word: “faithfulness”. Faithlessness is being excellent in the little things. If you’re faithful in the little things, your future will reward you (Luke 16:10), and vice versa. God has not only called you to be faithful, He has also made faithfulness a part of your Christian character through the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23).
Are the decisions, words, and actions that you’re making today going to help or hurt you in the future?
“Watch your thoughts for they become words. Watch your words for they become actions.
Watch your actions for they become habit. Watch your habits for they become character.
Watch your character for it becomes your destiny.”
—Laozi
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
©Grant Gaines 2013
