And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified. – Daniel 5:22-23
I can still hear my mother’s voice ringing out in admonition to my young ears: “With privilege comes responsibility.” If I wanted to bake in the kitchen, I would need to wash and put away the dishes afterward. If friends came over, I was expected to clean up any mess we made. If I borrowed an item, it should be returned in the same or better condition as when I had borrowed it.
As I grew older, my privileges increased, and so did the accompanying responsibilities. In time, I shared a dorm kitchen with a hundred other students, and responsible use of that area was a must. Later, friends came over to a house with my name on the lease, meaning I was ultimately accountable for any damage or messes left behind. And when I occasionally borrowed someone’s car, it was returned with a full tank of gas. With more maturity came more responsibility and more privileges.
The same is true spiritually. As we obey the Word of God, we discover more and more riches of truth and grace. The more we learn and delight in the truth of God’s Word, the more responsibility we have for what we know. It is our duty to live out the lessons God teaches us, and He blesses us when we do.
However, sometimes people do not take responsibility for the privileges or knowledge given to them. Belshazzar is an example of this. He knew of the greatness of his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, and that when his heart became lifted up with pride, God humbled him until he recognized God as the supreme Ruler of the earth. Although Belshazzar knew this history, he disregarded that knowledge and “lifted up” himself against God. As a result, his privileges were ended and he lost his life.
How much better to appreciate and obey God and His instructions! As we do, He will bless us with privileges and opportunities that we cannot foresee. We will be glad if we choose to take the responsibility He gives us.