Sacrifices Personal Interests For The Good Of Others

Sacrifices Personal Interests For The Good Of Others

A HERO’S TALE

Of all the 66 books in the Bible, Esther might be most ready made for a Hollywood movie script. It has all the important ingredients for a major motion picture: heroes, a villain, danger, suspense, romance, irony, comedy, poetic justice, and a happy ending.

Esther lived in the mid-fifth century BC, when the Persian Empire was at the height of its power. She was a beautiful Jewish girl who was an exile in the Persian capital of Susa. By God’s will, she became King Xerxes’s queen and discovered a terrible plot by a wicked man named Haman to kill all the Jews in Persia.

There was only one thing for Esther to do: approach Xerxes and plead for the lives of her fellow Jews. But it wasn’t that simple. In ancient Persia, you couldn’t just stroll into the king’s throne room and ask a favor. If you displeased the king at all (even as his queen), you could be executed. Yikes!

It was a terribly risky move. But Esther knew what she had to do for the good of her people, even if it meant her own death. So she made up her mind: “Though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die” (Esther 4:16).

But God protected Esther. Xerxes showed favor to her, Haman was executed, and the Jews were saved!

DECODING THE MESSAGE

Esther was a true hero for God because she was willing to sacrifice her own life for the good of others. The Bible calls this the ultimate expression of love (see today’s verse).

Now, don’t get confused. You don’t have to die for others to show them love. But you do need to put others’ needs before your own. It’s all part of being humble and considering others better than yourself, as Philippians 2 says.

BATTLE PLAN

Read the Gospel Connection on this page and then spend a few minutes thanking Jesus for sacrificing himself for your good.