Day 21 – Esther 4: 6-16

At Guide camp, my patrol leader asked me to go and invite one of the leaders – our favourite one! – to come to our midnight feast. To me this seemed a very scary task, and I tried to get out of it by asking lots of questions: What if the other leaders are there? What if she’s not there? What if … and so on. I must have sounded quite pathetic because my patrol leader and her patrol second got the giggles so badly it was a while before they calmed down.

We can sometimes put off sharing our faith with others by asking lots of ‘What if … ?’ questions: What if they ask us questions we’re not sure we can answer?; What if they question what we’re saying?; What if they laugh at us?; What if they dismiss us?; What if they get angry with us?; What if they’re just not interested?; What if … ? and so on.

Jesus said: “Do not worry … (instead) seek first God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness” (Matthew 6: 25 – 34).

Esther has the chance to save her people from destruction, but to do so she needs to be prepared to risk her life. She might have been justified in asking a few `What if … ?’ questions. Instead, she simply clarifies that Mordecai is aware of the risk she is taking; and then accepts the challenge prayerfully.

Perhaps when we find ourselves coming up with our own ‘What if …?’ questions, we can be inspired by Esther’s words: “And if I perish, I perish”. For example: ‘And if I make a fool of myself, I make a fool of myself’.

And, as always with God, the rewards for our courage will far outweigh the personal cost.

Loving God, help us to have the courage of Esther that we might live our lives according to your will. Amen.

by Anne Jeffrey
North West Durham Circuit
Presbyter