Day 5: Mordecai Talks to Esther
We talked a bit about not being controlled by our feelings last
week, but let's face it, we still have them and we will still be
outsmarted by them from time to time. And beyond that, God gave us
these feelings to feel. They aren't inherently bad. The thing that
takes us from fine to not-so-fine is when we just soak in our
feelings like they're a hot tub.
Over the weekend, I went to a writer's conference. One of the
speakers was talking about advice to improve your writing career. One
of his tips included continual forward movement. He went on to say
that he has been in the business for 14+ years. He knows that he
isn't supposed to take rejection personally. But it still hurts every
single time. And he allows himself to feel those feelings. It's what
he does after that which makes all the difference. He feels the
feelings and then he makes a plan to move forward.
And that's exactly where we find ourselves in today's verses. Read
Esther 4:1-17. How does Mordecai respond to the news of "all
that had been done" (4:1)?
How far did he go (4:2)?
Why did he stop (4:2)?
How did the rest of the Jewish people respond to the news (4:3)?
Reflection: Do you suppose
that this would still be the common response to this news today? How
would it be different right now?
I know that everyone would react in
the same exact way today. There's no doubt in my mind. But the news
and the complaints and the feelings would be splashed all over social
media sites. There would be hash tags galore- #notmyking
#whyisgodlettingthishappen #allthefeelings.
How did Esther respond to the news
of Mordecai's behavior (4:4)?
What else did Esther do in response
(4:5-6)?
What is Mordecai's reaction to each
of her actions (4:4, 4:7-8)?
I find it interesting that Esther's
first, knee-jerk reaction here is to fix the surface problem. She can
imagine her dear cousin, Mordecai, walking around wailing in mourning
clothes and she does the super obvious thing- offers him new clothes.
But that isn't what Mordecai NEEDS. She is offering a bandaid to
cover up a gaping, bleeding wound that needs stitches!
It's her second reaction that is
the better one, though it's definitely the more difficult path to
take. She talks through his feelings with him. She begins the painful
process of stitching him back together. She
comes alongside him and offers to walk this hard path with him.
What response does Esther send back
to Mordecai (4:10-12)?
And what does Mordecai tell Esther
(4:13-14)?
What decision does Esther reach
based on her conversation with Mordecai (4:15-17)?
Esther struggled with what to do.
She had feelings of her own about what was going on and it was tough
for her to fight past that fear. What if the king turned her away?
What if he had her killed for daring to appear unbidden?
And now it was Mordecai's turn to
reassure Esther. Isn't it wonderful that God gives us people to do
life with? Mordecai and Esther were both scared and uncertain about
the future. And rather than trying to deal with the proverbial wound
on their own, they leaned into each other in that scary time.
Personal Reflection: Who has
God placed in your life that you can lean into and count on when
things get tough or scary?
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