Risky Business

Read Esther 3:1–5:2

13. Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: . . .
14. “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”
15. Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
16. “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” . . .
5:1. On the third day of the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and entered the inner court of the palace, just across from the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance.
2. When he saw Queen Esther standing there in the inner court, he welcomed her and held out the gold scepter to her. Esther 4:13-16; 5:1-2

What is the risk in telling your deepest secret to a friend, starting a new job, or reconciling with an estranged relative? No matter how shy or bold a person is by nature, he or she must from time to time decide whether to take risks. It’s inevitable. Some people find risk taking terrifying. Others think it’s exhilarating. For every person the feeling has a lot to do with how successful other risks were. What’s the feeling you get when you think of taking risks?

For Esther, risk taking is more terrifying than exhilarating. But in this reading, it is necessary for her survival, even though it may cost Esther her life. Learn from Esther about balancing risky living with doing God’s will.

This passage also has other lessons on reverence, arrogance, and courage.

Esther risked her life by coming before the king (Esther 4:11–5:2). Her courageous act gives us a model to follow when approaching a difficult or dangerous task. Like Esther, we should (1) calculate the cost. Esther realized her life was at stake. (2) Set priorities. Esther believed that the safety of the Jewish people was more important than her life. (3) Prepare. Esther gathered support, fasted, and prayed. (4) Determine a course of action and move ahead boldly. Esther didn’t second-guess herself or allow her commitment to lessen.

Do you have to face a hostile audience, confront a friend on a delicate subject, make a crucial decision at work, or talk to your family about changes to be made? When you find yourself in a difficult situation that could cost you your job, a close relationship, your reputation, or even your future—follow Esther’s example and take action with confidence. You don’t have to be brash or brazen; just move ahead with what needs to be done, quietly confident in God’s sovereign control of the outcome.