Just like Esther, we often face moments where God’s calling feels bigger than what we can handle. She wasn’t born a queen, nor did she feel ready to step into her purpose. But by looking at God instead of her reasons of unworthiness, she found the strength to say yes. And in that yes, she became who God had always seen her to be. That yes saved her people. That yes changed history. That yes glorified God.
And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this? – Esther 4:10
There are moments in our lives when God calls us to step into something bigger that might not feel comfortable or even possible. I am in my own Esther-era season right now. Before I finally stepped into a yes…fear, doubt, and feelings of unworthiness held me back for a very long time. It was a constant battle, but my love for Christ and desire to be obedient kept drawing me back to the calling, over and over again. This shows us that even before we step into the calling, we need His strength, not just for the moment of saying yes, but for every step along the way.
It is His power that prepares us to do what we could never do on our own. When I reached the end of my own strength, that’s when He stepped in. He was winning the battle along side me the entire time. All the glory belongs to Him. When you have Him, you don’t have to carry it by yourself. Saying yes required me to surrender the doubt, the fear, and feelings of unworthiness and lean into faith in where God wants to take me. It meant focusing less on all the reason I thought I wasn’t capable and looking to Him completely. Resting in His promise that His is yoke is easy and His faithfulness is greater than I will ever comprehend, even in times when things might not make sense.
Sometimes, stepping into this belief, God leads us into the wilderness, gently separating us unto Himself, revealing our need for Him, and drawing us closer into His truth. It is there, in that testing place, that we learn to lean fully on His strength and realize we never had any strength apart from Him. In His love, He reminds us of our true identity and His sovereign power.
The truth is, the same strength that carries us through our big callings, the ones that feel overwhelming or impossible, is the same strength we need daily for every task God places before us. There are moments, more than I’d like to admit, when I catch myself relying on my own strength, only to fall short. But when I truly lean on Him, I find that His strength is enough for every moment, every challenge, every decision, and every step, He asks me to take. Every small step of obedience, every effort to keep going, becomes possible when we lean on Him.
Do not despise the day of small beginnings…for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin – Zechariah 4:10
What are the desires of your heart? Is it to adopt a healthy lifestyle? To pray more? Maybe to start that small business God placed on your heart? To have a clean, holy heart? Or perhaps it’s simply to read the Word of God everyday. Esther reminds us that no matter what God has planted in our hearts, whether it’s a calling, a lifestyle change, or a simple desire, we cannot step fully into it on our own. The seed is there, but it will not grow apart from Him.
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me… apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:4-5
Just as Esther had to fully rely on God and surrendered to His will, we too need that kind of reliance on Him before, in between and after accomplishing what He placed in you. What God has planted in our hearts comes to life when we fully trust and rely on Him. The beauty of it all, is He already sees you as what He put in you, it’s now time for you to believe it too.
