It hit me so hard, I could barely breathe. My entire life I had been living in sin. As a woman in the world I was prone to unhealthy relationships with men, dependency on men, self-fulfillment with looks, perfection, friends, posessions, materialism... the list goes on and on. When I became a believer, it was as if NOTHING of that mattered anymore. I began to see what a Godly woman looked like in the Bible. I struggled and fell down still, and I still do. But as women in the LORD we are called to a higher calling than most, ladies. We are called to pursue holiness, righteousness, and purity. We are called to be set apart, different than the world. We were called to something greater than what this life has to offer.
I entitled this blog, Pleasing the King out of the book of Esther. Esther is my favorite woman in the Bible. Her godliness just radiates throughout the entire story. Every time I read about her, I can't help but to feel convicted. I also fall on my face and pray that the LORD would continue to make me into the virtuous woman that He's called me to be. In the entire book of Esther you see more than seven times the phrase: "If it pleases the king..." Esther was so concerned with pleasing her king, rather than conforming to the world, or looking like everyone else. She even goes on to say, "If I perish while doing so...I perish!" Ladies, how many of us can truly say that? Our looks, our relationships, our hearts desires, our friendships...are they pleasing in God's sight? Are you willing to let them all go JUST to please your King? I know nothing in this world is worth keeping to lose Christ. I'd rather lose a lifetime of temporary fulfillment and gain an eternal satisfaction and joy.
Esther chapter 5:2, 8 is one of my favorites, it says, "So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the sceptor. . . .'If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request.'"
All she wanted to do was please the king. Do you see in verse 2 how it talks about the king noticing Esther without her knowing? I imagine her getting herself ready for the day, dressed in beautiful apparel and the king noticing her without her knowing. He took one look at her and found favor. I can't help but to think that a mix between her beauty and her heart were what drew him..but mostly her heart. Ladies, we need to be praying that our HEARTS cause the King of Kings and Lord of Lords to find favor in us. We need to spend more time transforming our hearts into more of His image than transforming our bodies into a smaller size. This is not our calling. We need to put away the materialism and selfish desires of what we want. I just love Esther because her heart radiated all the beauty she beheld. In verse 8 she had no desire to want anything unless it was what the king wanted.
So many times we desire things on this earth, which aren't necessarily bad things, but we want them without thinking about the fact that our Heavenly Father knows best. We need to be willing to sacrifice all we are, all we desire, all we hope for and give it unto the Lord's hand. Our prayer should be that HIS desires become ours, not that our desires become true. Not if I will, but if You will should be our mentality ladies.
So, in my own life...I have purposed it in my heart to please the King, in everything I do. In no way, shape, or form am I perfect. I fail every single day. Probably every single hour. Yet, I know that I am a work in progress and that the LORD has pressed a heavy burden on my heart for a lifestyle of holiness. Let me tell you, it is a beautiful, thrilling adventure. Purity, holiness, and righteousness may not sound fun to you, but living in them, and seeking the King above all else is the most rewarding, joyful, beautiful experience of all time.
This blog is designed to encourage you ladies, minister to you ladies, and to share some of my life and my heart with you ladies. We are all struggling together. We are all falling into the lies that this world wants to feed us, that we need to look better, we need to dress better, we need to alter our personalities, we need to change the way we walk, talk, act... I mean, satan wants to destroy, and damage all that you are. As women in the LORD we need to put on the whole armour of God. Just because we are called to live holy lifestyles doesn't mean that it will be easy. I have found ministry to be one of the hardest things I have ever known...but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
My prayer is that as Godly women, we would sacrifice our selfish desires and pursue a lifestyle of holiness. Stop caring so much about what you put on your body. Stop wasting your hours in front of the mirror. We need to be exercising into godliness, not beauty. This life we have it just one, girls. It is short, and our calling is far more rewarding than the vicious cycle satan tries to sell us about who we are. The enemy wants to kill and destroy, but Jesus has come to give you life, and to give it more abundantly! (John 10:10)
Let everything of this life go..live sold out, passionate, on fire, yearning for the glory of the LORD. He is enough, ladies. Seek His face, and all the satisfaction you need will become evident to you.
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