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“And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”

• Esther 4:14 

With all its drama, power, romance and intrigue the Biblical story of Esther could easily be mistaken for a modern day best-selling novel.  Yet far from a modern piece of fiction this ancient historical story occurred and was recorded centuries ago.  The story begins with Queen Vashti refusing to obey an order from her husband King Xerxes, king of Persia, causing her to be banished from her royal position.  The king then sent out a decree to gather all the beautiful women in the empire and bring them into the royal harem.  Esther, a young Jewish woman, was among those chosen.  So pleasing was she to King Xerxes – obviously she was a real knockout – that he chose her to become his queen.

The drama unfolded as Haman, the king’s right-hand man, deceived the king into plotting a plan that would annihilate all the Jewish people in the kingdom.  But ultimately Esther, herself a Jewish woman turned heroine, risked her life by using her beauty and influence to turn the tables on Haman – who was eventually hung with his own rope – thus saving the Jewish people.  “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” suggested Mordecai, her cousin and co-hero of the story.

Do you ever wonder why you were born in this particular age and time or circumstances instead of another?  I have – often!  Why am I living on this earth at this particular time in history and to what purpose? Why was I born into a middle-class family rather than poverty – or else into wealth and royalty?  Why was I born and raised in America in a small rural community as opposed to a big city – or why not a third-world country?  Why am I of one ethnicity rather than another, short instead of tall?  I could go on and on.

The example of Esther should help as we sort through such questions; for by being there at “such a time as this” and through her courageous act, a whole nation was saved.  Her life made a difference.  So could it be that we too in our own time and circumstances have been called to make a difference; that God has placed us here for just “such a time as this”?

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  – Proverbs 27:17 

As a youngster, especially as an adolescent I had the good fortune of being surrounded by wise people I could go talk to, most notably my parents of course, but also teachers, school principals, coaches, my church pastor, other adults I looked up to, and at least one or two very close friends my own age with whom I could have serious conversations about life issues.  Those were good years for me, in great part because of those good, wise people I had to talk to when I needed someone to talk to.  College was a different story.  By that time I suppose I thought I had it figured out and could do it alone, thus I never made the effort to seek out those trusted advisors who would keep me grounded and on the right path.  I paid a price for that, losing focus for a period of time on what I was there for, causing confusion about my future and life purpose.

Who do you talk to when – well, when you just need someone to talk to?  Seriously, for as best I can tell having a trusted friend, advisor, mentor, or confidante is as much a universal human need as food and shelter.  And failure to pursue fulfilling that need can be as unhealthy as bad nutrition, indeed malnutrition.

There is a mental sharpness, a sense of clarity that comes from having relationships with good, wise people who listen and challenge and stimulate thought, who focus on you and your ideas without involving their own egos; people who know how to challenge the thought without attacking the thinker.

I learned a valuable lesson from that experience in college, after which I made a promise to never again be without wise people surrounding me, people I can talk to when I need someone to talk to.  The only difference is that at my age now, except for my wife and a few close friends, most of those trusted confidantes tend to be “younger and wiser” rather than “older and wiser.”  But that is as it should be, for they possess knowledge and experiences that I lack which makes them as capable of keeping me grounded and on the right path as the elder statesmen of my youth.

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another,” says the ancient Proverb.  So, who keeps you sharp?  Who do you talk to when you just need someone to talk to?

“. . . let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  – Matthew 5:16 

Regardless if we are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, brilliant or simple, young or old, we all influence the lives of those with whom we come in contact in some way.  Influence is perhaps the most powerful of all human social characteristics in that anything we say or do may shape the life of someone else, often times without our being aware.

Once, many years ago, while attending a large gathering I overheard a man telling someone else that he was in the process of changing careers, one that on the one hand would limit his income but on the other would allow him the freedom to do those things that are more meaningful and significant.  I’m quite sure that gentleman never knew there was someone eavesdropping, nor did he realize that what he said would powerfully influence the life of a bystander.  But it was in that moment that a seed was planted in my mind that began the process of my own career change some years later.

Who’s listening when we speak?  Who’s watching what we do?  Who’s observing our everyday lives?  Who’s overhearing our conversations?  For better or worse, who are we influencing and in what way?  It is sobering to realize the power we have to influence good or evil, success or failure, hope or despair, inspiration or disappointment.

Like the man whose conversation I inadvertently overheard at a party we seldom realize the far-reaching impact of our influence.  Perhaps that is even more reason to be conscious of the awesome responsibility we have in what we say and how we behave, for every word we speak and every action we take inevitably shapes the life of another.

There’s a quote I once read attributed to John Quincy Adams.  “The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality,” he said.  Therefore, “. . . let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

“He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame.”  – Proverbs 18:13 

What steps of preparation do you take before making a major decision in your life?  In my case, if confronted with that question, I’m afraid the answer would too often be either “jumping the gun,” or “jumping to conclusions.”  Like the time I was so excited about a certain job offer that I refused to listen to those who warned me against it, nor did I pay attention to the warning signs that in retrospect should have been obvious if my vision had not been clouded by my ego, ambition, and financial greed.  I jumped the gun instead of listening and investigating the facts, much to my own folly and shame.

The late J.C. Penney (1875-1971), founder of the department store chain bearing his name, was said to have had a unique method of checking out candidates he was interviewing for executive positions for tendencies to jump the gun or jump to conclusions.  This became known as the “salt test;” for when selecting new managers, he would often take the candidates out to lunch where he had a cardinal rule, those who salted their food before tasting it did not get hired.

It has been suggested that there are three basic principles to making sound decisions: (1) get the facts before answering; (2) be open to new ideas; (3) make sure you hear both sides of the story before judging.  All three of these principles center around seeking all the information possible before making a decision or passing judgment.  And what great preventative measures they are to avoid the mistake of jumping the gun or jumping to conclusions, no doubt the characteristics Mr. Penney was digging for through the “salt test” with the candidates he was interviewing.

As one who is not in the habit of reaching for the saltshaker, I might have been lucky enough to have passed Mr. Penney’s salt test.  Yet, just last evening I ordered a cup of gumbo in a restaurant of which I tasted not a single drop without first dousing it with several liberal shakes from a Tabasco sauce bottle.  Hmm!  Haven’t I learned anything from the job blunder I made those many years ago?  “He who answers before listening – that is his folly and his shame,” according to the Proverb writer.  It is a great reminder to all of us when facing the question, what steps of preparation do you take before making a major decision in your life?  Follow the three principles, or jump to conclusions?

“It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good . . .”  – Galatians 4:18 

I’m curious, who are those elusive people out there known as “hackers”?  By hackers, I’m not talking about lousy golfers, instead those computer geek types who are sneaking around out in the cyber world trying to steal confidential information such as passwords to bank accounts, personal identities, or intellectual property, the sophisticated thieves of our day.  I have this image of some zealous loner computer geek who never leaves his apartment, spending all his time staring at a screen thinking up devious schemes to either steal or vandalize.  How tragic it is for these people that they choose to use their zeal for technology and their brilliant computer skills for evil when it could be used for so much good.

“It is fine to be zealous,” the Apostle Paul says, “provided the purpose is good.”  Contrast, for example, those elusive cyber criminals with three other zealous individuals I had the opportunity to spend time with recently.  Ruth Thompson founded Hugs Café for the purpose of providing training, employment, and future employability to adults with special needs, those who many had casted off as untrainable and unemployable.  Yet, through her zeal for this population many now have productive jobs, a community of friends, a purpose in life, and most importantly knowing they are children of a God who loves them.

Then there are Colleen and Rand Southard, founders of Charis Hills, a summer camp program for young people also with special needs.  Similarly, the results are that these young people discover they are perfectly capable of riding a horse, catching a fish, paddling a kayak, singing a song, and developing true friendships – and again most importantly knowing they are children of a God who loves them.

Ruth, Colleen and Rand are three of the most zealous people I have ever known, so zealous in fact that it is almost impossible to get them to talk about anything else.  They are also three of the most joyful people I have ever known.  To hang out with them is to witness almost nonstop smiles and laughter, and that is the result not of their zeal, but the amazing good that comes from it, the lives that are transformed. . . Oh, if the hackers only knew!  Oh, if we who do know could only reach them and teach them!