1 Kings 4:11 (NKJV)
“Ben-Abinadab, in all the regions of Dor; he had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as wife;”

We are a blessed people because our God has blessed us beyond measure. Our God has been too good to us, and that is the reason we worship Him. Worship is an obligation of love born in the heart of a grateful soul. We worship because we are blessed.

Responsibility to our Lord is also born from the same motivation. Because we have received from Him an abundance of love and blessings, we are obliged in love to serve and do whatever is required to bring Him glory. All is done for love’s sake.

Different people serve Jesus for different reasons, but motivation for service is more important than the service itself. Many people serve because they are commanded to or expected to, not because they love to. Love must be the primary motivation.

If Jesus has blessed you in measures beyond your imagination, then you owe Him the loving duty to respond in love; to serve out of love. If you have not been blessed by our Lord Jesus, you are free from this obligation. Don’t serve as duty. You’re not a slave.

King Solomon appointed twelve governors over different regions in his kingdom. Among other responsibilities that they were given, each governor was expected to provide food for the king and his household once a month in the year.

Were they faithful in doing this? Yes, they were. But why did they do it? Because they were obliged to do so. It was a responsibility given to them by the king. If they failed to provide food for the king in their delegated month, the consequences would be dire.

But there was one person who must have done it for a different reason. Ben-Abinadab. This man was not just one of the twelve governors; he was King Solomon’s son-in-law. He was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon. He was family.

When other governors served the king out of compulsory obligation, Ben-Abinadab served out of love for his father-in-law. He was indebted to the king because the king had blessed him with a wife. There was a special love relationship between them.

Don’t serve Jesus out of obligation. That’s what slaves do. We are called into God’s own family. We have received blessings beyond measure from our heavenly Lord. We have tasted His goodness. He has granted us gifts that we could never pay for.

So, in response, we serve in love. We take responsibility on earth for His glory. We do whatever we need to do to honor Him and give Him joy because He first loved us. Our motivation for service is our family ties to the King of the universe. Hallelujah!

@ChineduOranye
RestlessPilgrim.org