In the first chapter of Daniel a pattern of heart posture and spiritual disciplines can be found that carry broad applications for Christian discipleship. One of the wonders found in this chapter is how such godly characters were found in such young teenagers. In light of such a wonder, the real goal in the discipleship of youth should be to bring formation to teenagers who would love Jesus with passionate and wholehearted obedience for a lifetime, as Daniel and his friends did. 

Daniel and his friends overcame and endured a major generational transition, an exile under the rule of the megalomaniac, Nebuchadnezzar. Yet in the first chapter of Daniel we find a young man and his friends who were able to withstand a great brainwashing which included the changing of their names as well as demonic schooling in the language, astrology, and sorcery of the Chaldeans. In anticipation of the Antichrist and the end of the age, let alone the general antichrists that will certainly come in every generation (1 Jn. 2:18), the church must have a vision of purposeful discipleship that would be able to carry youth, with vigor, through these various generational movements.

The first of evils that Daniel and his friends endured was the change of their theophoric Hebrew names to names that honored the Babylonian gods in order to shift their political and religious allegiances. In response to having his core identity in God attacked, Daniel “purposed in his heart” to not partake in the “king’s delicacies.” (Dan. 1:8) This heart posture revealed not only his focus in life, but also his knowledge of the Scriptures. Even so, leadership should seek to disciple their youth upon a deep Scriptural foundation that exalts the beauty of Jesus and deeply roots the hearts and identities of the youth in God. This is also known among Christian communities as the “one thing” heart posture developed from  the life of Mary of Bethany and the life of David (Lk. 10:42; Ps. 27:4-6). Within this formation should be a Christian worldview that is as broad and comprehensive as the Bible portrays. Daniel also knew that to resist the “king’s delicacies” was key to maintaining his identity in God, and to this end Daniel added the spiritual discipline of fasting. Youth ministry should be intentionally centered on the beauty, person, and work of Christ, who is the greatest revelation of the Father (Col. 1:15-17),  as opposed to focused on anything less. A high view of the Gospel and the beauty of Jesus is the only thing that can satisfy the heart of the youth while also protecting their hearts from the snares and sins the world offers. Central to attaining such satisfaction and grounding is through a lifestyle of reading the Word with fasting and prayer, as laid out in the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7). In this lifestyle Daniel lived and “continued until the first year of King Cyrus,” which was, in other words, into his old age.

In all, the church should embody a culture in which its members and youth are discipled in the Christian lifestyle. By following the pattern found in the first chapter of Daniel the church may form a spiritual family that forms teenagers like Daniel and his friends who were able to rise above the plans and snares of the enemy even when those plans fall at their very doorsteps.