Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this? Esther 4:14 (NLT)
With the glorious hindsight that hundreds of centuries and thousands of commentaries give you, the story of Esther seems straight forward. A girls beauty grants her great opportunity, she does all the right things, and then despite opposition from an old and evil man, saves her people. And we all clap and think she is the epitome of ‘warrior princess.’
And she is – she was an amazing woman and is an incredible role model.
But her amazingness did not dwell in her beauty, or in her assumed ability to do the right thing all the time (she was not a robot). She was a woman with dreams and ideas, emotions and heartaches, fears and failures, conflicts and passions. She is a picture of you and I. We are the same, we have shared the same air. She is a human heroine.
Mordecai makes the difference in this story. Her loving uncle and advisor. An ever present source of help and strength… it was he who challenged and whispered purpose into Esther’s heart. It was he who saw her real beauty, the strength and keenness of her spirit, and encouraged her to use it. Esther could have relied on her physical beauty and circumstances to keep her safe and privileged, but instead she used it as a coat rack for her inner calling. A foot up for her to speak on behalf of others and bring them closer to safety and peace. All the while leaning on the encouragement and relationship of Mordecai.
Are you using your physical circumstances to satisfy the ‘entitlement’ epidemic that is arresting the western world? Or are you using what you’ve been given as a building block in community and for the good of others?
Who and what you listen to makes all the difference. What you say to someone else can make all the difference to them.
God whispers, and sometimes shouts, into our hearts and minds “You were born for this very moment…” The moment in the check-out line when the person in front runs out of money. The moment in the playground where the bully is standing over the vulnerable. The moment in the workplace where someone is being ripped off… right now is your moment.
God is your Mordecai. Listen to His words of love and purpose and pass the message onto others. For in such times as these, we all need it.