Queen Behavior
Hey everyone,
Happy November! It’s almost daylight savings time for most of us. I hope you are enjoying the cooler temps. I can’t believe this is almost the end of the year!
Today I want to share a lesson entitled: Queen Behavior
Queen is a word that we’re all familiar with. There are queen emojis on our phones, there are tee shirts, artwork, and various paraphernalia with the word queen written on it. We call each other queen on social media and also in our daily lives. Sometimes we can focus so much on how we look that we end up neglecting what really matters….which is our character and how we show up in the world.
Before I can assume the title of something, I must first seek to understand what the word means and learn the qualities that are associated with it. We can’t use a word without living up to the responsibility of that word because when we do, we end up deceiving ourselves and confusing the people around us.
Today I want to focus on the story of Esther who according to the book of Esther in the Bible, was the cousin of Mordecai and when her parents died, he ended up adopting her as his own daughter.
Mordecai and Esther were Jews in exile from Jeruselum and they were brought Persia, namely the Citdael of Susa where King Xerxes was the ruler. The king’s wife at the time was Queen Vashti. The king was having a banquet and made a specific request of the Queen but she refused to come to where he was. After consulting with the nobles concerning what the queen had done, the king decided to replace her and started a search for a new queen…this is how we come to learn about Esther.
Esther was selected as one of the potential candidates to replace Queen Vashti. Scripture notes that she immediately found favor with everyone who saw her.
She was given special treatment, assigned 7 women to assist her, and given the best place to live ALL before she was even selected to be queen. Talk about favor!
There was something captivating about her and yes, she was beautiful but there had to be more to her than her beauty because all of the women who were selected to be presented to the King were physically beautiful.
Esther 2:17 (NIV)
Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
So what did Esther possess that the other women didn’t?
There are many characteristics in the book of Esther but I will highlight 5 of them…
- She was wise, level headed and didn’t allow her feelings or personal life to sabotage the bigger picture.I imagine it must have been a difficult time for her, she was a Jew and couldn’t tell anyone, she was in a strange land with people she didn’t know, and plus they had different customs. She was selected to do something she probably didn’t want to do and was separated from the only family she had…her cousin Mordecai. Probably feeling that if her parents were around they could have shielded her from what was happening. I am sure all of this had to be overwhelming…probably a little scary too. But in spite of all of that, she was willing to go through the process and not let her emotions get the best of her.
Which leads me to characteristic number 2:
- She was willing to go thru the process and take on difficult challenges.According to Esther 2:12, she had to go through a 12 month process of beauty treatments before she could even be presented to the king. That was a year’s worth of preparation before even meeting the king with no guarantee that she would be selected as queen. She could have said I did not sign up for this, I quit, I want to go be with my cousin or she could have even tried to escape. But by her yielding to the process, her life and the life of her people drastically changed forever…in a good way.
Characteristic number 3:
- She was not selfish or self-centered. She was willing to risk her comfort and more importantly her life for the benefit of others. Mordecai refused to bow to Haman and in his fury, Haman got permission from the king to have Mordecai and all the Jews killed. Since it had been decreed by the King, Esther knew that this was not a threat but it was a promise that would be enacted by Haman if she didn’t take action. Despite the realistic fear she faced, she devised a plan to approach the king on behalf of her people. It was a risk yes, BUT a calculated risk …meaning she knew that she would need a power greater than hers to carry this out….so before she did anything, she and the Jews fasted.
Esther 4:15-16 (NIV)
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
Which brings me to characteristic number 4:
She knew the importance of consulting God first. She realized her human limitations and the seriousness of what she was about to do. Even though God’s name is not specifically mentioned, she knew that divine intervention would be necessary as she could not do this in her own strength. She needed a strategy and she needed the king’s heart to be receptive before she approached him and even opened her mouth.
Getting the green light from God in any situation is highly recommended….you need the backing of heaven before you take on any risk, so don’t rely on your own intellect. Trust me, we’re not that smart.
And characteristic number 5:
She had people serving her but she still was a servant.
I think that’s worth repeating….. Queen Esther had people serving her but she still was a servant.
Esther Chp 4:4 When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed.
Esther was a leader. She used her influence and affluence for the good of others, in this case, it was her people, the Jews. As the queen, she had prestige, wealth, and power but she couldn’t look the other way while the lives of her people were at stake. It was because of the bravery of Queen Esther, her people were spared, promoted, and honored.
Esther’s wisdom, patience, selflessness, and courage ended up saving the life of her cousin and all of her people. Not only that but the one who was trying to kill them (which was Haman) ended up dying himself and her cousin Mordecai become rich instantly as he granted Haman’s estate. And all the Jews benefited from ONE person’s selfless act.
This was a real what the devil meant for evil, God turned it into a good kind of moment.
So to recap:
Queens are wise, level-headed, disciplined, humble, patient, and willing to go through the process, they seek God first about everything, have faith, are visionaries and leaders which use their influence and affluence for the good of others.
I encourage you to read the book of Esther in your spare time.
God wants us to be beautiful from the inside out. He’s not concerned with a beauty that’s only skin deep.
Proverbs 31:30 (NLT)
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last, but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.
Using our body, looks, or flattery to secure the bag, get a promotion, or even a man may work for a season but it won’t last because our body is gonna change. There is no way around it. We cannot stop the aging process.
Yes, we should age gracefully by taking care of our spirit, soul, and body but Ummm getting older is going to happen.
Pampering yourself, dressing nice and enjoying fashion, nothing at all wrong with that, I love it too but we can’t lead with it. Some of us focus so much on the outside while our inside is empty. And buying more stuff will not compensate for misery and brokenness. We’re gonna need more than looks and a physique. We have to work to build character, which will outlast anything physical any day.
So in closing, I admonish you to take a hard look at the woman in the mirror and analyze your life. What you’re currently doing, is it working? What do you have to offer God, yourself, and others that will make a difference? And for those seeking to be married, what do you have to offer a REAL man? Are you exhibiting queen behavior so that your King can find you?
I am in no way talking to you…I am talking to us….me included. We want the favor of God to overshadow our lives and goodness and mercy to follow us so we must be willing to do the work to develop in areas that we are deficient. Calling ourselves and each other queen is wonderful, please don’t stop but let’s make sure we act like it. And as queens, let us give other queens permission to lovingly correct us when we don’t.
I want to leave you with a Lesson I’ve Learned in the form of an Affirmation, say to yourself daily:
I am a beautiful and unique masterpiece created by God.
Therefore, I will focus on my inner beauty radiating from within.
Instead of seeking attention and validation from anyone, I will seek to please God.
After all, the favor of God will take me where my looks or body never could.
Please feel free to leave a comment if this blog resonates with you. I would love to hear your thoughts and will be sure to reply too!
Thanks for coming back again this month and hanging out with me. I love it when you do! I’ll see you in December. ????
Journal and Greeting Card Giveaway: The first 10 people to leave a comment will receive a copy of my Party of ONE journal. You will be contacted via email if you are one of the winners. You must reside in the USA.
You are celebrated and appreciated my fellow Party of ONE!
God’s best always,
Leslie
