DAILY VITAMIN

- Understanding Your Rights And Duties

"Then Samuel told the people again what the rights and Duties of a king were..." (1 Samuel 10:25 TLB)

Every leader has a right - a right to be honoured; but he or she also has duties - duties to serve. However, a lot of leaders cling to their rights and forfeit their duties. We see this every day in dictators and selfish CEOs. Nevertheless, God calls us to uphold both. Remember, He says we are kings and priests on the earth (Rev 5:10); and as much as we have the right of dominion and the Kingdom life here, we are also expected to exert ourselves in certain duties.

For starters, a general duty is to fear God wholesomely (Eccl 12:13); and then there are more personal duties God gives us individually. Purpose is about discovering these duties and using the strength obtained from our rights to fulfill them. Consider Jesus. He told Pilate that He had come to witness for truth. He also told His disciples He had come to minister to men; and we can see through His life how He used His right as the only begotten Son of the Father to accomplish this will of God. The same must go for us. All the blessings in the heavens we have been offered (Eph 1:3) is designated to help us fulfill all God sent us here to do, and failure to do that will be disappointing. 

That was what king Saul did. He disappointed. He took advantage of the rights after a while and reclusively abandoned the duties; and this we do easily the moment we abandon the ways of God. 

Hence, know your rights in the Lord and exercise them, but more importantly perform your duties to Him and humanity.