Fruitful Living
Daniel – The value of leadership
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. – Hebrews 13:7
INTRODUCTION
The Old Testament book of Daniel tells the story of four men who possessed leadership influence and spiritual convictions. Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, later renamed as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are the four individuals upon whom this book is based. Their ability to participate in an environment that many would interpret as negative shows powerful skills of leadership influence with a foundation of deep convictions. There are times that many leaders have convictions and ideas that are completely lost because their influence is destroyed. Influence is best defined as the capacity to have an effect on the character, behaviour and development of people. All through the Book of Daniel, leadership influence and convictions are seen in the behaviour of all four of these men.
Leadership Lessons from The Book of Daniel
1. Daniel wasn’t afraid to be different (Daniel 1).
He didn’t just conform to the culture he found himself captive in. He was counter-cultural. Without hesitation, he requested that he and his friends be given a different diet than what was on the Babylonian menu. Daniel didn’t eat it just because it was put before him. He dared to be different (Daniel 1:8 & 11-14). Daniel approached the situation with a request. Daniel was comfortable in his own skin, and he stood out despite a scrupulous effort to indoctrinate him in the culture and customs of Babylon. Cultural awareness and engagement is important, but conformity erodes a leader’s influence.
Notice the approach that Daniel takes with the king’s servant. Daniel asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself in this way (Daniel 1:8) If a leader desires to influence those around him, how people are approached is essential. Daniel did not come at the servant of the king in an arrogant and prideful fashion. He asked for permission. Helpful leadership begins by showing respect to others.
2. Daniel Always Listened.
Daniel’s approach also recognised that change is not easy. The official servant who was responsible for Daniel and his three friends had some anxiety about the request. There will be times when a leader will need to call for change. Change is not always easy, but listening is essential. Winston Churchill once said, “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Daniel’s ability to hear what was being said to him showed a definite skill in leadership. Listening is a powerful skill for any leader.
3. Daniel had A Clear Strategy Plan
As he presented his suggestion, he had also a strategy. Daniel said, “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.” This suggestion was not an overwhelming request. Daniel was not asking for a month or a year. His request was simple and was not overwhelming to the servant of the king.
His request for water and vegetables was simple. For any leader to influence and be able to maintain their spiritual convictions, a clear strategy plan must be defined. After Daniel was allowed to follow his beliefs, and he was able to use his leadership skills.
4. Daniel knew where to go for answers (Daniel 2:12-18). After the King had a dream that none of the wise men of the kingdom could interpret, a decree was made for all of them to be put to death, including Daniel. But Daniel and his inner circle of trusted companions took the matter to prayer “to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery.” God answered them with the necessary wisdom and discernment. Daniel was a man of constant communion with God. Prayer was his lifeline; literally… it saved his life on numerous occasions and positioned him for greater influence as a leader.
5. Daniel celebrated wins and praised God for answers when they came (Daniel 2:19-23). Daniel knew where his wisdom came from and he gave glory and honour where it was due. (James 1:5-8)
6. Daniel had his friends’ back, and, therefore, could be trusted (Daniel 2:49). After Daniel interpreted the King’s dream, he paid homage to Daniel, offering him high honours and many great gifts. But Daniel didn’t forget his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He requested to the king that they be appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon. Daniel understood that at every level of success in life, someone helped you get there. He didn’t forget his friends; he remembered those who had helped him. He had their backs!
7. Daniel was willing to lose it all rather than compromise (Daniel 3). When the king ordered every subject of the kingdom to bow and worship an idol erected out of Nebuchadnezzar’s narcissistic arrogance, Daniel and his three friends counted the cost. They believed their God could deliver them from the fiery furnace, but were still willing to lose everything; their status, affluence, positions, power, prestige, and even their lives, before they would compromise by worshipping a false god, or self-serving agenda. Their character meant more to them than all the wealth of the kingdom, and they were willing to lose everything before they compromised their character and the God-centred worship that shaped that character.
8. Daniel wasn’t afraid to have the hard conversation (Daniel 4:22-27). When Nebuchadnezzar had become enveloped in pride and arrogance, Daniel wasn’t intimidated to have the hard conversation about where this conceit was leading the king. He was a straight shooter. He told the king God would drive him into the wilderness to eat grass like a wild beast “until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Daniel didn’t pamper the king with flattery; he spoke boldly about the consequences of pride and self-absorption.
9. Daniel could rightly interpret problems and solve them (Daniel 5:16). Leaders solve problems, cowards place blame. Leaders find solutions, bosses point fingers. Leaders find a way where others make excuses. Leaders seek to understand before being understood. They rightly interpret problems and bring about solutions to fix them. The Bible says that Daniel had a gift for solving problems, not blaming others for them.
10. Daniel didn’t allow political or cultural influences to erode his values (Daniel 6). He was a man of prayer and a man of deep faith. This distinguished him above the other political figures of his time, breeding jealousy amongst his colleagues. They set a trap, by passing legislation that would incriminate Daniel for praying to his God, but he paid no attention to it (Daniel 6:10). He never changed his values. He was a man of prayer and unshakable faith regardless of what laws were put on the books or what was culturally acceptable. As a result, this Daniel was honoured. His leadership and influence increased… and the laws were retracted and re-shaped around his values! He didn’t bend.
11. Daniel was a man of integrity; this bred confidence in God (Daniel 6:22). Daniel attributed his great escape from the lion’s den to his blameless character before God. Daniel wasn’t perfect by any means. But he understood the correlation of integrity and the providence of God. Psalm 25:21 – “May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.” Because Daniel was a man of integrity, he had great confidence in God’s deliverance. 1 John 3:21 – “Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.” John W. Gardner wrote, “Men of integrity, by their very existence, rekindle the belief that as a people we can live above the level of moral squalor. We need that belief; a cynical community is a corrupt community.”
12. Daniel trusted God (Daniel 6:23). Perhaps there’s no greater description of this excellent leader. Because he trusted God, he was secure in his own identity. Because he trusted God, he knew the source of his wisdom. Because he trusted God, he was a man of great, uncompromising courage. Because he trusted God, he lived with integrity and prayed continually. Because he trusted God, he didn’t fret his opponents. Daniel never cowered… because he trusted God.
End Note:
In thinking about the events that Daniel experienced, there is some definite teaching regarding leadership influence and personal convictions. Billy Graham put it best when he said, “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”
The Book of Daniel tells us that Daniel never lost his helpful leadership influence. This was the result of his spiritual convictions. Therefore, he never lost his character. What about you?
Stay blessed!
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Fruitful Living
Sanitation, Hygiene, and the Morality of Public Space: Reclaiming Ghana’s Civic Virtue through Faith and Policy (Final Part)
A. The Role of Religious Leaders and Counsellors
Religious leaders wield immense influence in shaping public values. Every mosque, church, and shrine should integrate environmental stewardship into its doctrine. Islam views the earth as a masjid—a place of prostration (Sahih Bukhari, 335). Polluting it is akin to defiling a sacred space. Monthly khutbahs should focus on amanah and tahārah, connecting spiritual purity to environmental discipline.
As a counsellor, I affirm that behavioural reform requires both moral teaching and psychological reinforcement. When believers internalise that cleaning a drain is an act of ʿibādah (worship), they transform routine labour into sacred service. The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught: “Removing harmful things from the path is a branch of faith.” (Sahih Muslim, 35). This hadith perfectly captures the theology of civic virtue.
B. Individual and Community Pledge
Moral renewal begins with personal accountability. Every household must adopt responsible waste practices—segregating recyclables, composting, and cooperating with collection services. Citizens must also exercise al-amr bi-l-maʿrūf wan-nahy ʿani-l-munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil) by correcting neighbours who litter or misuse public spaces, with gentleness and wisdom (Qur’an 16:125).
Communities should establish local sanitation committees under mosque and church leadership, creating faith-driven accountability structures. Supporting local enforcement, rather than resisting it, must be seen as a contribution to maslahah—the public interest that the Sharia seeks to protect.
This collective moral reawakening must integrate faith, governance, and citizenship into one moral project: cleanliness as worship, sanitation as patriotism.
C. Conclusion: Cleanliness, Dignity, and the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah
Ghana’s destiny as a great nation is inseparable from the cleanliness of its environment and the conscience of its citizens. The choked gutters, polluted rivers, and scattered waste are not only environmental failures but spiritual wounds upon our collective soul. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allah is pure and accepts only what is pure.” (Sahih Muslim, 1015). A nation that aspires to divine favour must first reflect divine purity in its public spaces.
To achieve this, we must view sanitation through the lens of the Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah—the higher objectives of Islamic law—which aim to preserve life (ḥifẓ al-nafs), faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn), intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql), wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl), and posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl). Clean environments are essential for all five objectives:
- Preservation of Life (ḥifẓ al-nafs): Proper sanitation prevents disease and death. Protecting human health is a divine imperative. Allah says, “And do not throw yourselves with your own hands into destruction.” (Qur’an 2:195).
- Preservation of Faith (ḥifẓ al-dīn): Islam equates purity with faith. An unclean environment obstructs worship and spiritual growth, violating the believer’s covenant of cleanliness.
- Preservation of Intellect (ḥifẓ al-ʿaql): Healthy surroundings promote clarity of thought, while pollution and disease diminish cognitive vitality and learning.
- Preservation of Wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl): Waste management safeguards public funds, prevents costly health crises, and preserves natural resources.
- Preservation of Posterity (ḥifẓ al-nasl): Environmental care ensures a habitable planet for future generations, fulfilling our amanah to the unborn.
By aligning sanitation with these higher objectives, we transform a civic duty into a sacred mission. Achieving the Maqāṣid requires cooperation between policy and piety—laws enforced justly, education grounded in values, and citizens inspired by faith.
Let every believer remember that a clean street is a silent dhikr (remembrance of Allah), a purified drain is a fulfilled amanah, and a healthy neighbour is a protected trust. When our gutters run clear and our air smells fresh, it will signify not merely progress but piety—proof that Ghana has reclaimed its moral and civic virtue under the gaze of the Almighty Allah.
Thank you.
- By Imam Alhaji SaeedBAbdulai, the Author
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B. Instead, walk in righteousness and true holiness … (20–24)
1. This is how you learned Christ
- As you heard Him and were taught by Him (through His apostles, of course – Matt. 28:19-20)
- In Whom is the truth – John 8:31; 14:6
2. For you were taught to “put off” the “old man”
- That is, your “former conduct,” how you behaved before you were saved – Col. 3:5-9
- Putting off the old man is needed because it is never content, but grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (like addictive drugs, you always need more).
3. And to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind”
- Which is the key to true “transformation” – Rom. 12:1-2
- You “renew your mind” only as you “set your mind on things above” – Col. 3:1-2
4. And to “put on the new man”
- A new man “which was created according to God” – Col. 3:10
- A new man, “in righteousness and true holiness” – Col. 3:12-17
In giving the admonition “No longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles,” Paul has made it clear that it involves both a “putting off” and a “putting on.” That is, our “Walking in Truth and Holiness” is not just a bunch of “Thou Shalt Not’s,” there are also some “Thou Shalt’s.”
To illustrate further the difference between the “old man” (how the rest of the Gentiles walk) and the “new man” (how Christians are to walk), we find Paul making…
II. The Application – (25–32)
Case in point: lying (25)
- The “old man” thinks nothing of lying
- The “new man” puts away lying, and in its place speaks truth with his neighbor (especially to those who are members of the same body)
Case in point: anger (26–27)
- The “old man” gets angry and lets it linger, or get out of control
- The “new man” may get angry, but does not…
- Let it linger (“do not let the sun go down on your wrath”)
- Allow it to prompt sinful behavior (“nor give place to the devil”)
Case in point: stealing (28)
- The “old man” is willing to steal
- The “new man” not only stops stealing, but works so he can help others in need!
Case in point: corrupt communication (29)
- The “old man” doesn’t worry or care what comes out of his mouth
- The “new man” not only avoids “corrupt communication,” but seeks to speak that which is uplifting to those who hear
Summary (30–32)
Why be concerned about putting off the “old man” and putting on the “new man?”
When Christians act like the “old man,” it grieves the Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit we were sealed for the day of redemption – Eph. 1:13-14.
Therefore, we ought to put away those things befitting the “old man” (bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking, malice). And in its place, we need to put on those things befitting the “new man” (being kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another just as God forgives us in Christ).
Conclusion
What a contrast there would be if all those in the church truly carried out the admonition to “Walk in Truth and Holiness!” The church would stand out like “a city that is set on a hill” – Matt. 5:14-16.
And the world, though it now has “their understanding darkened,” would be more likely to come to see the truth that is in Jesus. But what hope is there if the church is more like the world than the “holy temple” it is to be?
Brethren, are we “grieving the Holy Spirit of God?” – Ephesians 4:30. While the increasing worldliness in our society naturally concerns us, let us be careful not to react with attitudes that reveal our old characteristic when we were in the world.
BY Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee,
the author
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