William Arthur Ward, a writer of inspirational maxims, penned these words of wisdom to inspire people to be responsible and do the right thing: “Do more than belong: participate. Do more than care: help. Do more than believe: practice. Do more than be fair: Be kind. Do more than forgive: forget. Do more than dream: work.”
Before a king named Lemuel ascended the throne, it’s likely that his mother passionately appealed to him to move beyond enjoying the privileges of royalty and to accept responsibility (Proverbs 31:1). The first way she appealed to him to be responsible was to practice self-control (Proverbs 31:2-4). She wanted him to practice self-control in the area of sexuality and the use of alcohol because she knew if these became addictions, they would dissipate his soul, and he would ignore the needs of the people. It would surely bring him to ruin. Lemuel’s mother could point to King Solomon, who pursued these two pleasures (Ecclesiastes 2:8). These and other pursuits left him emotionally empty and chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 2:11).
The second way Lemuel’s mother encouraged her son to be responsible was to practice justice (Proverbs 31:8-9). The king was to defend those who were displaced and to use his power for those who had no power. When he defended the cause of orphans, widows, foreigners, and others who were marginalized in the land, he was reflecting the character of God (Deuteronomy 24:17; Psalm 68:5; Proverbs 22:22, 31:8).
Let’s take to heart the ancient wisdom from Proverbs and encourage our children and others to move beyond the minimum of enjoying the privileges of position. As followers of Jesus, let’s take our responsibilities seriously.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Acts 21:18-36
More:
Read 1 Kings 11:1-13 to see how Solomon enjoyed the privileges of his position but failed to accept the responsibilities of being king.
Next:
What are the privileges and responsibilities of the position(s) you hold? What more do you need to do to honor God by fulfilling your responsibilities?
Wayne on November 10, 2013 at 4:50 am
Pray what God would have you do ? Show us Lord what we can do get us humble, Thank you Lord, Wayne
ruth o'reilly-smith on November 11, 2013 at 12:25 am
As parents we long to provide ‘the best’ for our children and we’re often drawn into focussing on those things that hold monetary or educational value, here though, we are challenged to intentionally invest in their character. In Deuteronomy 4:9,10 we are also urged to teach our children to recall the faithfulness and provision of the Lord, teaching them to fear Him.