Daniel 1:17
"As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams."
Unless you are a hermit who lives in a cave, your daily life is filled with relationships.
Most people have no idea how many relationships they have. A relationship isn't always with a person. A relationship is a connection. That means anything you connect with is a relationship. For instance, if you frequent a website on a regular basis, then you have a relationship with that website. If you listen to a radio show on a regular basis, then you have a relationship with that show. I know this may sound strange, but anything you connect with is a relationship.
The dangerous thing about relationships is that they influence us for better or worse. When you go to a website, you are allowing it to influence you. When you listen to a radio or television show on a regular basis, you are allowing it to influence you. Most of the time we only think of relationships with people, and these are important, but we must also consider the influence of the other relationships we have in our lives.
Daniel narrowed down the relationships in his life. It was no mistake that Daniel became a great Christian. When you look at his relationships, he had very few in which he chose to engage. Yes, there were other relationships in his life with which he had no control, but the relationships over which he had control were both positive and spiritual.
The two main relationships in Daniel's life were God and his relationships with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The primary relationship of his life was with God. You will see in the Scriptures that Daniel spent personal time with God three times a day. This was the most influential part of his life. After his relationship with God, he only allowed personal relationships with those who were spiritual. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were spiritual young men with whom Daniel spent time. These four men were motivated and encouraged to do right because they all allowed their chief relationship to be with God.
It is important that you make sure every relationship you have starts with God. God should be the common denominator you have with any other relationship. When you base every relationship on God, then you will have positive relationships in life.
Furthermore, you should only allow other relationships in your life that have a positive influence on your spiritual life. Your personal friends should not be weak Christians, instead they should be strong Christians who motivate you to do right. Your inanimate relationships, such as the internet and radio, should only be relationships that stir you to do more for God.
Let me ask you, are your relationships pushing you closer to God? Do your relationships put pressure on you to stand for right? Is every relationship in your life one that Daniel would have? Take an inventory of every relationship you have and be sure they are pushing you towards God and right. If there is one relationship that is weak, you need to get rid of it for it will influence you for wrong. Every relationship should be spiritual and positive, and every relationship should have God as the common denominator.