Esther had the perfect job – just
be the Vanna White of the kingdom - look gorgeous and do a little something now
and then that really isn’t necessary in the first place. She lived a sheltered life, safe from the stress
of the life of an average citizen under the king’s rule. She had no access to
the news of the day and she was doted upon by servants.
Suddenly, however, a tremendous
responsibility landed squarely on her. She
had to approach the king with the news of the imminent extermination of the
Jews in Shushan. No one else cared
enough to do the job or had the opportunity to do so. Life was no longer about
her.
I learned of a family recently
that had an unwanted responsibility thrust upon them. Their four-year-old daughter has a large
invasive inoperable spinal tumor.
Suddenly, life changed. No longer
was life revolving around the goals and dreams of the average family. The daughter has to spend months in a
hospital far away from home. The mother
went with her and the father stayed home to work his job and tend to the needs
of the other kids. Life has become
wholly about caring for the needs of others.
It is so easy to live life
focused on my own desires. To forget
about what others are going through actually is much too common in my
life. I know it helps me spiritually,
emotionally and physically to help others – especially when it comes to the
greatest help in my life, Jesus. I just need to refocus my desires to what Jesus
would have me do each day. Life is about
Jesus and helping others. My purpose is to tell others about Jesus. It is not about me. “If I perish, I perish”
is another way of surrendering my life to God. Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
“Go,
gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me,
and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will
fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the
law: and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16.
© copyright Kevin T Boekhoff
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