Heroes, Pt. 5: Esther

It has been estimated that 65%of churches across North America need revitalization (source: https://churchanswers.com/blog/dispelling-80-percent-myth-declining-churches/). The other 35% will require at least minor revitalization within the next 3-5 years. This truth is not new; Jesus wrote in Revelation 2-3 to seven churches in need of revitalization at the end of the first century. Neither is it going away anytime soon. The need for revitalizing leaders, then, is both acute and ongoing, but if we are to identify, develop, and/or become leaders who are equal to the task of leading a church to revitalization, we must understand the things that characterize such a leader.

A prime place for finding these characteristics is the Old Testament’s account of Israel’s exile and eventual restoration and one of the shining stars of this period, a woman by the name of Esther. Esther’s story is one of the more familiar of the Old Testament. A young Jewish girl living in exile in the Persian Empire is chosen to become the new queen. For an instant, it appeared that Israel was poised for a comeback. Unfortunately, just as she was settling into her new life of royalty, a wicked man named Haman manipulated her husband, the king, to call for the genocide of all Jews within his kingdom. Suddenly, all hope of revitalization seemed poised to be dashed, but Esther’s response to this threat in Esther 4:4-14 reveals at least three essential characteristics of a revitalizing leader.

Revitalizing leaders are aware.

When the king approved an edict allowing Jews to be destroyed (Esther 3:13), news spread quickly everywhere except the royal palace where Esther lived. However, in verses 4-9, Esther’s servants and eunuchs noticed that the Jews were fasting, weeping, and lamenting in sackcloth and ashes, and they reported this to their mistress. Something was wrong, and they knew Esther would want to know. You see, unlike many people in her situation, Esther was resolved to be aware of all that was going on around her, and revitalizing leaders are the same. They do not bury their heads in the proverbial sand or ignore the troubling things going on in their congregations (e.g., no guests or salvations, declining statistics, etc.). Rather, they take deliberate steps to ensure that they have a clear and accurate understanding of the congregation’s current state. Yes, revitalizing leaders are aware, but notice the things that Esther did in these verses to make this possible.

First, Esther’s people were apparently monitoring the news. Of course, they did not have televisions or internet, so this meant watching the palace gate and, in particular, her uncle Mordecai. Mordecai was a leader among the Jews. Perhaps more, he had recently foiled a plot to assassinate the king (Esther 2:19-23), thus garnering a place of honor among all those who sat at the palace gate. When the honored Mordecai showed up in sackcloth and ashes, then, it was only natural that they noticed because Esther had instructed them to pay attention to such things. Indeed, revitalizing leaders pay attention to people, their mannerisms, and numerous other telltales to find hints of the state of the church. To be clear, their purpose in doing this is not to be know-it-alls or busybodies, but so that they can discern what is going well, what is going poorly, and what needs to be done.

Paying attention, though, is not enough. When Esther learned of Mordecai’s sackcloth, she knew something was wrong, but the exact nature and gravity of the situation were still unclear. At that moment, Esther had two choices: she could leap to her own conclusions or do some digging to find real answers. Therefore, she sent some servants with clothes. When Mordecai did not receive them, she knew the situation was severe, and she sent her most trusted eunuch, Hathach, to get the details. Similarly, in revitalization, the full story is often elusive. To uncover it, the revitalizing leader must become a student of the church’s history, dig through records, and ask questions of the various parishioners because a superficial knowledge of the situation can only produce superficial solutions, and superficial solutions rarely suffice. In short, he/she must fully investigate the situation.

Finally, when Hathach returned to Esther, she listened. He showed her a copy of the written decree, explained it to her as Mordecai had explained it to him, and insisted that she should approach the king and plead for the Jews (Esther 4:8). Suddenly, we realize that simply understanding the situation was not enough. Esther also needed to listen to the advice and insights of others to find the best solution to the problem, and revitalizing leaders must do the same. This means listening to experts, but it also means listening to parishioners. Often, would-be revitalizers dismiss their parishioners’ insights and advice in favor of their own ideas. To be certain, this is sometimes appropriate, but there are times when the parishioner can offer fantastic insights and ideas. The real revitalizing leader will not hesitate to embrace these.

Revitalizing leaders can doubt.

Of course, when Esther heard Mordecai’s plan, she knew it could be problematic. Since her arrival in the palace, one thing was drilled into her head: no one approached the king without an invitation. To do so was to sign one’s own death sentence. The reader can understand, then, the apprehension that Esther displayed in verses 11-12. When she responded to Mordecai, she reminded him that anyone who appeared before the king without a summons would be executed without a pardon, and then she revealed that she had not been summoned for a month. There were, of course, many possible explanations for the king’s failure to summon his queen, but this revelation still raised a key question: had she lost the favor of the king? When their relationship was new and fresh, she might have assumed he would grant the pardon, but a month without a summons would make anyone wonder. In short, she doubted, and the uncertain nature of church revitalization means that the revitalizing leader can doubt from time to time, too. Indeed, from the uncertainty of what to do and how people will respond to the question of whether the revitalization will be successful, doubt is a constant companion of the revitalizing leader, and this recognition carries with it several key implications.

First, it is okay to be afraid. In Esther 4:11, Esther recognized, “One law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king… the death penalty.” One can almost hear the fear in her voice, and who could blame her? So also, in revitalization, there are legitimate reasons to be afraid. There is the possibility of termination, of people leaving the church, of wasting precious resources. And there is always the looming threat that one mistake will result in the death of the church. The fact of the matter is, risk is an inherent part of leading revitalization, and fear is a natural companion to risk. In fact, I would submit that, if you do not experience at least an occasional pang of fear as you lead revitalization, then there is probably something wrong with you! Do not be surprised by it or condescending toward colleagues who are experiencing it!

Second, it is okay to question. Still in verse 11, Esther noted, “I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the last 30 days.” One might assume that, as wife of the king, Esther would be able to count on a pardon if she appeared before him without an invitation. In her words, though, there is a very real question. Even if she was not executed, did she still hold any influence with him? Remember, her predecessor was banished because she refused to obey the king’s drunken command (Esther 1:12). Moreover, was Mordecai’s plan the right thing for her to do? Similarly, revitalizing leaders are not suddenly granted omniscience. This means, among other things, that it is okay – essential, even – for them to ask questions to be as certain as possible that they are doing the right thing. In fact, I would observe that there is a fine line between being a hero and a fool, and if the revitalizing leader does not stop to ask and answer at least a couple of questions, he/she is at least flirting with that line.

Finally, it is okay to tell someone about these concerns. In Esther 4:12, Esther’s servants relayed her concerns to Mordecai. That is, she did not simply swallow them, allowing them to fester within her until they boiled over. Instead, she articulated them to her uncle and so allowed him to address them. For the revitalizing leader, this lesson is crucial. Too often, our culture expects him/her to have an unwavering bravado, and to meet that expectation, the revitalizing leader swallows the fears and questions which come with the work of revitalization. These fears and questions fester within the leader until they suddenly boil over in a panic attack, decision paralysis, or an outright mental breakdown. I tell you that there is a better way! Find a confidant. Surround yourself with a cohort of other revitalizing leaders. If necessary, visit a professional counselor or therapist. Share fears and questions in that safe setting. Receive godly feedback, affirmation, guidance, and/or sympathy. It is okay to tell someone about these concerns.

Revitalizing leaders go to work.

Acknowledging doubt is a crucial part of leading revitalization in a healthy manner. The problem is that many revitalizing leaders never push past that point. Instead, they allow their questions and fears to paralyze them and so never see revitalization realized in their churches. This is why the last bit of Esther 4 is so crucial: starting in verse 13, we discover that Esther finally went to work to change the situation despite her doubts. Like her, revitalizing leaders will acknowledge their fears as real and legitimate, but then they will go to work to bring health and vitality back to their churches anyway. Yes, revitalizing leaders go to work, but Esther reveals three keys to remember along the way.

The first of these keys is found in Mordecai’s response to Esther’s concerns. The reader will recall that Esther was afraid in verses 11-12 that approaching the king without a summons would incur the death penalty and/or confirm that her relationship with the king was over. Mordecai, however, replied in verse 13, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace.” His response was astute. See, Mordecai recognized in her words three common excuses: (1) if it does not affect me, it is none of my concern; (2) I can make no difference anyway; and (3) getting involved could cause me harm. Not coincidentally, these same excuses are used still today by would-be leaders to rationalize why they will not do the hard, scary work of revitalization. Mordecai’s reply, however, cut through them all. How did Esther know the edict would not affect her, a Jewess? How could she know that she could make no difference without trying? Harm could come at any time for any reason. Why not risk it doing something worthwhile? In essence, he commanded her to stop rationalizing, and revitalizing leaders must do the same if they are going to go to work. As long as they continue to make up excuses, they are not actually getting anything done. Revitalizing leaders stop rationalizing.

Mordecai, however, was not done. As he continued in verse 14, his words established two extremes that Esther needed to avoid at this moment. On the one hand, she could assume that she was the key to God’s plan and so possessed all the power. That is, if there was no other person capable of executing God’s will to save his people, then she could determine if and how she would do it, and there was nothing God could do about it. Indeed, too many would-be revitalizers enter a church believing that they are the Savior and can do no wrong. God needs them to revitalize the church, so he will do things their way. To this hubris, Mordecai said, “If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place.” Put another way, God may want to use you to bring relief and deliverance, but he by no means must use you. So stay humble. On the other hand, she could deem herself so inconsequential that failing to do anything will not affect God’s plan. Once again, too many would-be revitalizers embrace this notion, which rises from either a bona fide sense of inadequacy or false humility. Both of these attitudes are straight from the enemy of our souls, and Mordecai confronted them squarely when he declared, “If you keep silent at this time… you and your father’s family will be destroyed.” Why would God threaten such grave consequences if Esther was so inconsequential? The fact is, everyone is an essential worker in God’s economy, and he expects everyone to contribute. Mordecai’s double-barrel warning, then, served as a poignant reminder that Esther needed to get to work, and she needed to do it with a right attitude. Revitalizing leaders also must maintain a right attitude. They must not consider themselves too highly and so think that they have the power to choose if and how they will work. Neither should they consider themselves too lowly and so think nothing they can do will make a difference anyway.

Finally, Mordecai concluded, “Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). It was a not-so-subtle reminder that God had endowed Esther with the beauty that caught the eye of the Persian Queen audition committee. God had granted her favor with Hegai, the keeper of the king’s harem, so that he gave her special treatment. And God compelled the king to fall in love with her so that he made her his queen. Surely, it was no coincidence that the first Jewish queen was crowned just in time for Haman’s heinous plot to unfold. No, God had orchestrated all of history to place Esther exactly where she was, and the revitalizing leader will recognize that that same is true of him/her. Yes, God has orchestrated all of history to place that revitalizing leader in that congregation and community at that exact moment in history, but that raises the final, crucial key: Revitalizing leaders do not hesitate or procrastinate. Recognizing the importance of that exact moment in history, once he/she has recognized something that must be done to advance the revitalization effort, the revitalizing leader will waste no time getting to work so that the moment will not pass. That is, he/she will not allow fears or questions second-guess. He/she will not waffle back and forth in indecision. He/she will not put it off until tomorrow. No, the revitalizing leader recognizes that he/she has been placed where he/she is for such a time as this, and so absolutely refuses to hesitate or procrastinate.

Conclusion

Having heard Mordecai’s reply, Esther knew what needed to be done. She instructed Mordecai to gather the Jews to fast for her. Then, starting in Esther 5, she went to work. She planned a feast and invited the king and Haman. She wined and dined the king and Haman for three days until the king could stand it no more. He demanded to know what she wanted and promised to give her up to half of his kingdom. When she revealed that his edict had condemned both her and her people to death, and Haman had manipulated him into issuing it, the king was furious. Haman was executed, and the Jews were saved because Esther made a point to remain aware of the situation and overcame her doubts to do the work of God.

Leading revitalization is not easy. Sooner or later, the revitalizing leader will be tempted toward complacency. He/she will be confronted with profound doubt. He/she will have to decide whether he/she will do the hard work of revitalization. How he/she responds in those situations is the difference between a revitalizing leader and a would-be revitalizer. The true revitalizing leader will always choose awareness, acknowledge doubt, and then get to work because he/she was placed in that church, in that community, for such a time as this.