Thriving in Babylon

You don’t have to search for long if you want to learn philosophies on selling. There are several writings and videos on how to sell yourself, your house, your business…anything. In comparison, you won’t find much theories on buying - how to buy what you really need, how to get what you pay for, etc. Personally, I think we need insights on buying more than ever because we buy so much junk, wasting our time and money on things that are, at best, aren’t of much use to us and, at worst, killing us.

On the idea of getting what you pay for, I think it is essential for any Christian have reasonable expectations with regards to his or her faith. If there is one common characteristic of backslidden or fatigued Christians, it is that of disillusionment, of things not being what they expected, dissatisfaction, fear, and the thought that they settled for something they could not cope or grapple with. While a lot of these might be down to personal issues, some of it is caused by erroneous mentality.

Larry Osbourne’s Thriving In Babylon explains to us that Christianity isn’t some kind of algebra, a set of conditions that you fulfill to get to an expected end. He tells us that what we signed up for isn’t a set of certainties, at least, in this life. The author says most of what we are taught as “God’s great deeds of old” are exceptions, a snapshot of God stepping out to intervene. It is not the norm. He says of the book of Daniel:

Growing up in a Christian home, I always thought the book of Daniel was an adventure story. I assumed the main point was that God would deliver me from danger and persecution if I had enough faith and did the right thing. The fire couldn’t harm me and the lions wouldn’t eat me. But if that’s Daniel’s main point, he and God have some serious explaining to do. When it comes to fiery furnaces and hungry lions, Daniel and his friends aren’t examples. They’re exceptions.

Larry Osbourne points out that though we are living in an age where Christian values are derided, we should not make the mistake of thinking we have it worse than the saints of yesteryears. He says:

Our tendency to look at the past through rose-colored glasses isn’t just restricted to the long distant past. It also includes the fairly recent past. Consider how many Christians look back at the 1950s and the days of Leave It to Beaver as the golden era of family values and godly culture. While they were indeed good times if you were a white middle-class suburbanite, they were hardly the glory days of family values and godly culture if you were a black family living under the last vestiges of segregation and Jim Crow.

He says Christians (in the Western world) must come to terms with the fact that we have lost the culture war with the secular community. However, he feels that should not be an impediment to working with them as Daniel was able to do it, even though things were much worse in his time. The author says that if we were to triumph as Daniel did, we need to imbibe hope, humility and wisdom. These traits, he says, were what set Daniel apart and what we must strive for, if we are to succeed.

However, he cautions that acquiring these characteristics won’t necessarily seat us with the powerful, neither will it make us popular. He says the only reward we are certain to get by following Daniel’s template is God’s approval - the only reward that matters. He says:

Our job is not to win the battle. It’s to follow God’s battle plan. There will be times when following God’s plan doesn’t seem to be working. But to those who have Daniel-like wisdom that begins with the fear of the Lord, that doesn’t matter. Even when God’s way seems to lead nowhere, it’s still the right path to take.

He also explains that seeking worldly influences or trying to force people to our Christian point of view won’t necessarily expand the kingdom of God and can be detrimental in the long run. He says:

The periods of our [the Church] greatest influence were not necessarily the periods of our greatest faithfulness. … a powerful church is not always a faithful church. It draws people for the wrong reason.

Larry Osbourne’s living In Babylon contains lots of insights about the principles Daniel employed to survive as a Jew in Babylon. More than than, it mirrors the man’s life into our today’s world and admonishes us that there is hope amidst this world's troubles. It also stresses on God’s hands recalibrating situations in the ways He wants it and that our job is to align ourselves with His directional winds.

What I like about this book is the frankness and the simple ways the author presents his ideas. His analyses were spot-on and the message of hope they carry is refreshing. I recommend it to anyone seeking alternative perspectives on the present cultural wars between the secular word and the church. More importantly, it is relevant for those who desire to take their walk with the Lord a step further.

What is a Spiritual Babylon? Daniel a Prophet of the Old Testament lived in a godless city of Babylon, where he was stripped of his identity as a Jew. How was he able to thrive and remain faithful in these times? In times of suffering, Daniel remained hopeful, lived in humility, and sought out the wisdom of God. What is biblical hope? How does that look for us today? Our hope is not found in our circumstances but in the character of God.

From God’s character we can expect God’s discipline. God’s discipline begins with those that he calls his own. Not on those that do the most evil. God’s discipline is for his children to have a Godly sorrow for sin and repentance. It starts with God’s own people; we need to look in the mirror instead of binoculars. Our testing is not for God’s benefit, but for own to know the truth of our faith. Our faith is affirmed when our weakness are revealed thru trials and sufferings.

The five qualities of surviving a spiritual Babylon are obedience, perspective, endurance, confidence and courage. As Christians, we should look at obedience as solders in the military. Our very lives depend on obedience. As Christians, our perspective may not see the bigger picture of the work of Christ. As Christians, our endurance is not giving up. That pain is gain. As Christians, our endurance produces confidence and courage that is found in Him.

Living in a godless society it is easy to be bogged down by media tactics that create a crisis for monetary gain in which can cause depression. It is advised to take a break from social media outlets and all the news that over floods our minds and grip our hearts. In other words we can lose hope.

The short study of Daniel brings new light to give us hope in God’s character which brings us humility as we live out in wisdom.

A special Thank you to David C Cook and Netgalley for ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.