Here’s a really hard question: What happens if a leader tells you to do something God says not to do? You know what’s cool? The Bible has an answer for that! When leaders in Jerusalem ordered the apostles to stop talking about Jesus, Peter gave a famous answer: “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Leaders get a lot of authority, but God has all of it. Nobody outranks God.

Daniel figured this out the hard way. A law was passed saying nobody could pray to anyone except to the king. But that went against what God said. So, what did Daniel do? He went home, opened his window, and prayed to God just like he always had. He wasn’t showing off. He simply refused to stop talking to God. He got thrown into a den of lions for doing it—and God shut those lions’ mouths all night long (Daniel 6). Daniel’s three friends did something similar. They wouldn’t bow down to a giant golden statue the king built. And God protected them too (Daniel 3)!

Here’s the thing to notice: none of them were rude. They didn’t yell or start fights. They just quietly, respectfully, and bravely said “no”—and then trusted God with what happened next. You might face a smaller version of this. Someone with more power than you, like an older kid, a group leader, or even an adult, might tell you to do something you know is wrong. You can be respectful and bravely say “no”.

Think About It: God is in charge of everything, even over kings and presidents and principals. Daniel knew that, and it made him brave instead of scared. If you ever get told to do something you know God says is wrong, who is a grown-up you trust that you could go to right away? Think of a name right now (maybe a parent, a pastor, a teacher, a grandparent). Knowing ahead of time who you’d tell makes being brave a whole lot easier.