8.18.7 "What's your Excuse?"

Esther 1:1-3:15
I Corinthians 11:17-34
Psalm 35:17-28
Proverbs 21:19-20

Racism. Sexism. Grief. Loss. Corruption. These sound like great reasons for an individual to amount to nothing, right?

God's word is filled with incredible stories. The story of Esther is one of my favorites because it shows someone of such incredible character. While I've heard the story so many times, and watched the Vegi-Tale version as well, I never really focussed on the obstacles she had to overcome.

Listen to the environment of the culture she had to come from: Remember that the reason she became queen was that Queen Vashti had refused to come when King Xerxes had summoned her. Listen to what on of Xerxes' advisors says:

"Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also every noble and citizen throughout your empire. Women everywhere will begin to despise their husbands when they learn that Queen Vashti has refused to appear before the king. Before this day is out, the wives of all the king's nobles throughout Persia and Media will hear what the queen did and will start treating their husbands the same way. There will be no end to their contempt and anger.

"So if it please the king, we suggest that you issue a written decree... When this decree is published... husbands everywhere, whatever their rank, will receive proper respect from their wives! The king and his nobles thought this made good sense... He sent letters... proclaiming that every man should be the ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases." (Es 1:16-22)

Wow! I don't picture those scriptures sitting that well with many of us in our culture today. While Esther was a biblical heroine, it wasn't because the environment was such that women had a chance to make a difference.

I always knew that Mordecai was Esther's uncle, but today I caught verse 2:7, "When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her into his family and raised her as his own daughter." Esther had experienced great loss. She was an orphan. So many times grief completely renders an individual ineffective. Not Esther.

Racism is nothing new. Esther 2:10 says, "Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so." There are other references throughout this story that further bring the environment of racism to light. Here is yet another "reason" that Esther should not have succeeded.

Government corruption is also nothing new. In Esther 3:10 we read of Haman bribing the king into making a law. The law is to kill all of the Jews.

So Esther gets an attorney, gets crazy rich on law suits, starts a talk show, and changes the world by eliminating the racism, sexism, etc. Right? No, while that may be the path our culture would celebrate today, that is not the path that Esther takes.

She goes through 12 months of beauty treatments. While that may sound like a "spa" and you're thinking, "yeah, I could do that", remember the environment. They'd go through all of that just to be locked up in a harem for the rest of your life. Verse 15 says, "She accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was admired by everyone who saw her." Her path was a path of integrity.

She was also a woman of humility. When Mordecai discovered a plot against the king, "She then told the king about it and gave Mordecai credit for the report." Es 2:22

So how does this apply to us? We need to learn that there is no excuse for us not to succeed in what God has called us to do. Things don't have to be "fair". Just because the environment is not "easy" for us it doesn't mean that it's our job to change the "environment."

Sometimes we look at something that's an obstacle in our way. Maybe it's a "stupid rule" at work, and it gives us frustration in doing our job the way we want. I think too often we distract ourselves from what we've been assigned or called to do by focussing on how we can "change the rule." Our job is to succeed in the environment that the Lord has placed us in.

What's your excuse? What's holding you back from succeeding? Have you ever thought that maybe your "excuse" is the reason you're there? No, not to "change the rule", but for you to be changed? Maybe you need to be in an environment where your pride is whittled down. Maybe you ned to be in a place of submission to authority because you're an arrogant hot-head. Maybe God has put you somewhere "for such a time as this".

Don't let anything distract you, or "excuse you" from becoming who God has created you to be. I'm not saying that the environment Esther was in was the way it should be. (I'm not posting Xerxes' decree in my home!) I'm just saying that whatever the climate is, God will make a way for you to complete what he's called you to complete.

There is NO Excuse!


Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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