And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
Esther 4:14b
Imagine what it must have been like to be Esther. She is in many ways the quintessential fairy tale story. The orphan turned queen, that then saves her people from their destruction. Low in class and status, what a shock it must have been to hear the nationwide call for all eligible young women to report to the palace for a year of preparation for the beauty contest of the century- the winner will be the next queen! How exciting- until we find out that the reason the king is in need of a new wife is because he killed his last one and is sorry about that now. Whoops.
Esther dutifully packs her bags and heads to the palace. Before she leaves though, she is encouraged by her cousin, Mordeci, (the cousin that took her in and raised her), not revealing that she is a Jew. Why ever not, Esther probably had no idea, but Mordeci did work at the palace and he provided for her and loved her so she listened to him and did as he asked.
Imagine the anxiety and anticipation she felt when at last that long year is over and the time comes for her to walk before the king. Maybe at this point she was annoyed- a whole year of her life gone- what really are the chances she will be picked?
But then the impossible happens and the orphan becomes queen. The best of the best at her disposal, a staff to wait on her every need everything seemed to be going well, until she overhears a plot to kill all the Jewish people in the kingdom. Stricken Esther goes back to her cousin Mordeci and tells him of a horrible plan.
He tells her she must go to the King. Going to the King unbidden was an act that she could potentially be killed for; the King had a scepter which he could extend to anyone who appeared before him unbidden and thus save their life… But there was no guarantee that the King would do this. Mordeci tells her. That she must take this risk- that perhaps God made her for a time such as this.
How many times in our day to day lives do we get frustrated with our seemingly insignificant contributions to the world? I think of this verse when I start feeling like my day to day contributions aren’t making any impact. Most of us won’t be in as lofty of a position as Esther, but what if I get to be a Mordeci? What if I was put on this earth to be the springboard for what others need to do their life’s work? What if I am one simple sentence away from accomplishing one of the main things God put me on this earth to do?
The next time you want to throw in the towel because your day seems boring, that you can’t see any progress or purpose in your menial tasks. Stop and ask yourself; what if you were put on earth for a time such as this? What if in accomplishing the insignificant you end up accomplishing the significant? Instead of telling yourself that what you are doing doesn’t matter, stop yourself. Because it does matter. You matter.