My parents never let my brother and me have video games growing up. No Nintendo, Xbox, or PlayStation. Instead, we had these round and oblong-shaped objects filled with air, which we would call balls and a yard, along with locks on the door to prevent us from coming back inside before dinner. Something I’m sure I thought was unfair and unreasonable at the time, but am now thankful for. However, we did have friends who had parents who were clearly “nicer” than mine, who had all those gaming systems with no time limits or restrictions, to which we would venture over to get our dose of video games. I would perhaps be sitting on the roof with the window open and controller in my hand, gazing at the TV, because technically I was supposed to be outside.

Actually, I never really got into video games. It was always frustrating that the guy I was supposed to be controlling would never do what I wanted him to do. Perhaps that too can be a reflection of real life. I do remember some Christmases going down to the local Blockbuster Video store, where you could rent a video game system to which my brother and I would spend some of the holidays ignoring those inflated objects waiting for us in the yard while we got lost in Super Mario World. Both figuratively and literally get lost. Not knowing what to do or where to go, or really what buttons did what.

However, friends who knew more than we did would pass on a cheat code. As the game was loading, you could push a series of buttons, something like Up, Up, Down, Down, A, B, A, B, or some kind of code to be able to skip levels (I’ve been informed the actual Start at the End code for Super Mario brothers is, hold Down and B on the title screen and press Start—if you are wondering). This would get us by some of the hard stuff that kept killing us in order to make it to the end of the game. Wouldn’t that be nice in real life? How do we get by some of this hard stuff?

Recently, sitting in the front row, off in the left corner at church with my family as Michael was preaching on Daniel 2, I was convicted by seeing more of myself in Nebuchadnezzar than in Daniel. When things didn’t go Nebuchadnezzar's way, he reacted in anger, trying to exert control and force some desired solution. His emotions were sheep, and their shepherd was his circumstances, always reacting, never at peace, constantly trying to fix it all in his own power. But Daniel was different. His emotions followed a different shepherd, one who could walk him through hard valleys, and he was very aware of his lack of power and need of his shepherd. It was an attractive difference. A kind of difference that I know I need. But so many times, when hard things arise, it can seem like a level I can’t pass. The “I can fix it on my own” bullets get me every time. Or I fall into the pit of worry and anger again. How can I respond more like Daniel?

Here is the level that seems to keep getting the best of us. Different circumstances for Daniel, but the same obstacles. Stress, crisis, pressure, bad news, unfair circumstances. Daniel, already a POW, is part of a class that is all getting punished because some of the class members can’t act right. Have you ever been in that situation? Everyone has to stay in from recess because one person misbehaves. Daniel’s situation is a bit more intense than that. 

The king had a troubling dream in which he wanted his advisers, the magicians, enchanters, and sorcerers, to interpret the dream, but first tell him what his dream was. They could not, of course, so Nebuchadnezzar’s reaction was to have them all killed, which would have included Daniel and his friends. However, when Daniel finds out about this death sentence, he seems to pass it with ease. Or as the text puts it, he handled it with prudence and discretion (Daniel 2:14). That’s when I saw it, his cheat code.

Down. Down. Up. Up.
Calm down. Slow down. Look up. Speak up.

When Daniel heard of Nebuchadnezzar’s rash verdict, he replied with prudence and discretion, asking: Why is this so urgent? Why the panic? He met the crisis with calmness. Calm down. Then he asked everyone to slow down and appoint a time when he could address the king. Then he gathered his friends, and they prayed. They looked up. And then he went to the king and spoke up.

Down. Down. Up. Up.
Clam down. Slow down. Look up. Speak up.

Now, everyone knows you have to get the cheat code in the correct order for it to work. Too often, we fail in those moments because we speak up before we look up. We don’t calm down or slow up; we don’t think the circumstances allow it. It’s too big a deal, they are going to kill us, I’m going to lose my job, he’s going to get away with it, they’re going to think I was wrong. Whatever it may be, we tend to match the crisis with worry, panic, fear, or anger. As if our circumstances are the shepherd of our emotions. But our God is bigger than our problems. Calm down. Slow down. Turn off the news. Before you tweet or post, look up. Look to God, what does he say?

There are two types of problems with Christians today in our crazy culture. Those who are afraid to speak up, and those who speak up without calming down, slowing down, and looking up. Which one are you? Are you afraid to go before the king and tell him that his kingdom is not going to last forever? Or are you so eager to speak up that you are doing so in a posture of anger, fear, and ignorance on whether what you are saying is really directed from the wisdom of God or not? Or is how you are saying it reflecting the character of God or not? Or showing confidence in God or not?

Church, we will face plenty of situations that bring panic and fear and anger and frustration. Don’t forget the cheat code. Calm down. For heaven’s sake, calm down. Slow down, you don’t need to respond immediately. You don’t have to post something right away because everyone is posting something. Usually, those who speak first aren't prepared to do so. Look up, pray, and seek the wisdom of God for your response. It is arrogance to assume you have the right response on your own, pulling from your own emotions. And then speak up, for heaven’s sake speak up, once you are calm, and have sought the council and wisdom of God, your voice is needed.

Calm down. Slow down. Look up. Speak up.

Watch or listen to Michael’s sermon on Daniel 2.