Using Our Influence For God’s Purpose
“And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”” – Esther 4:13-16 NKJV
Sometimes when we get into certain positions that make us feel comfortable in life or places us above our peers, we tend to forget where we came from and the people who helped us get there. We turn a blind eye to the cry of our own people and their sufferings. We often believe that what our people are going through will not affect us because of the position we hold. I can understand why that may be so; perhaps because we may not want to abuse the influence of the position in which we are in. However, when we use our influence of the position in which we are to do the purpose of God, it is not an abuse – it is fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.
In Esther 4, we are told about the decree that had gone out that all Jews in the land should be killed. Esther was a Jew and she held a very prominent position in the land. She was close to the King but she was not willing to break the law to enter the King’s inner court because she had not invited. Esther was balancing the destiny of her own people against breaking the law of the King to save her people.
But Mordecai (her relative who helped her get to that position) reminded her that, perhaps, she had been put there for a reason. Maybe the reason she was close to the King at that time was for the purpose of saving the Jews from total destruction. The warning Mordecai gave to Esther was so profound: that if she doesn’t break the King’s law to save her people, someone else would do so in the future, and she and her household will perish before then. Because no matter what Esther does, she will always be a Jew and if the law stands, the King would have to be fair at one point in time and apply it to her.
Sometimes, to achieve God’s purpose in our life, we have to break the man-made laws. But note that breaking the man-made laws must not be based on our own desires but the purpose of God. Esther, being the wise woman that she was, entreated Mordecai and her people to fast for her for three days and night, not drinking anything or eating anything. She also stated that she and her maids would fast for that period as well.
She knew that she could not proceed into the inner courts of the King without the support of God and without God leading the way. When we realise what God’s purpose for our lives is, we need to pray and ask for wisdom and direction on how to achieve that purpose. We cannot proceed to do God’s purpose based on our own wisdom. After all, it is His purpose for our lives so He will know how best to execute it.
We should not be hesitant to ask people to fast and pray for us to help us achieve the purpose of God in our lives. The unity in the prayers and fasting will give us the wisdom and enable us to stand firm in carrying out God’s purpose. Also, once we are reminded of our purpose, we should be wise, like Esther, to rise up and ask God to direct us. For, achieving God’s purpose is more important than our comfort in the position in which we are.
Esther was willing to perish to, at least, try and save her people. She chose to sacrifice her life so that it may be said of her that she lost it whilst trying to save her people. But she knew that if her people fasted and prayed, God would be with her so that even if she perished because of her people, it would be perishing in the name of God or perishing for carrying out God’s purpose for her life.
The story of Esther ends with God delivering the Jews from their enemies and not only that, but putting their enemies at their mercy. God will put our enemies at our mercy if we call on Him and trust Him and act according to His purpose.
Written by Kow Essuman, Esq.
The author is a barrister; qualified to practise law in England and Wales, New York and Ghana; a Global Shaper (Accra Hub) of the World Economic Forum and a firm believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ. #AdvocateForChrist
Official Website of Kow Essuman 
As believers, we need to seek the will of God and directions on how to accomplish it. The story of Esther is profound in our daily activities. It does not matter who we are; janitor, errand person, director,banker,minister or doctor. Stay blessed!