Introduction
A determined woman. A courageous woman. A woman who knew how to leave everything behind to do what God asked of her. This is the portrait of Esther. Starting from nothing, an immigrant, an orphan, she nevertheless reached the most influential position anyone could hold in her time: the royal court. And God entrusted her with a mission that she carried out to the end: to free an entire people threatened with extermination.
You carry this same mission. The world isn't waiting for believers who keep to themselves. It's waiting for the children of God to be revealed. That's what Romans 8 says: "creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God." It's waiting for you, with whatever God has placed in your heart, whether small or great.
Article Outline
1. Esther, a woman who knew how to use her gift for God
2. Creation isn't waiting for believers, it's waiting for sons
3. "But you will receive power": the reminder of Acts 1:8
4. Paul at Troas: when obedience costs something
5. Mary at Jesus' feet: giving what is most precious
6. Being filled with the Holy Spirit to become a true witness
1. Esther, a woman who knew how to use her gift for God
Esther's gift, in the eyes of the world, was her beauty. The king saw her and was captivated. Maybe today you don't see yourself in that particular gift. But you have others. You know how to organize, paint, write, speak, or give wise counsel. These are gifts, and they're often how you can reach the place where God wants to put you. Because the world, which doesn't know God, sees your gifts first.
Esther was beautiful, but above all she was determined, because she loved God and listened to her uncle Mordecai. What is your gift? Based on what God has given you, you can influence the world. You can walk out of church and become influential in the exact place where God is calling you to be.
2. Creation isn't waiting for believers, it's waiting for sons
Romans 8 is clear: creation doesn't groan for believers, it groans for the revealing of the sons of God. That's not the same thing. There's an identity, a power, a passion that comes out of these words: being a son, being a daughter of God.
You can only be influential if you know who you are and who your God is. Everything starts with your identity. The whole earth is waiting for the Church of Christ to be revealed. Can you grasp that? Creation is longing for you, as a child of God, to be revealed.
3. "But you will receive power": the reminder of Acts 1:8
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). You may know this verse by heart. Look at the small word at the beginning: but. A "but" always means there's a "before" to understand.
Just before this, Jesus tells his disciples he's going to leave. He asks them to wait for the Comforter. And what do they do? They ask him a self-centered question: "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" They're thinking about themselves. "You're leaving, so what about us? What's going to happen to us?" Jesus answers that the times belong to the Father. Then he adds that but: "but you will receive power... and you will be my witnesses."
That's the great difference between thinking "me" and being a "witness." A witness no longer thinks about himself. He thinks about giving what he has received. The "me" wants to receive and keep. The witness wants to give. That's why you need the power of the Holy Spirit: it changes the way you think. No longer "me," but "others, my neighbor."
As long as you focus on yourself because some circumstance hurt you, you keep repeating "what about me?" The abundant life God wants for you requires a shift: caring for others. The Holy Spirit isn't given to you so you can dwell on yourself, he's given so you can become a witness.
4. Paul at Troas: when obedience costs something
Paul went through a very difficult season just before the gospel opened up to Europe. He wanted to go to Galatia; the Holy Spirit stopped him. He wanted to go to Bithynia; the Spirit of Jesus wouldn't allow it (Acts 16). He'd also had to go back to Jerusalem for a difficult debate about circumcision. Then he had a sharp falling out with Barnabas, his mission partner, over Mark: they parted ways (Acts 15:36-40). Paul finds himself at Troas, disoriented.
That's where he receives the vision of a man from Macedonia calling out to him: "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" Macedonia is Europe. Paul had never been there. But before he left, listen to what he says in 2 Corinthians 2:12-13: "When I came to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was opened for me in the Lord, my spirit was not at rest, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said farewell to them and went on to Macedonia."
"My spirit was not at rest": Paul was looking for Titus, his closest friend. He wanted at least to embrace him before leaving. He didn't find him. He left anyway. He didn't think of himself. He obeyed God with that pain in his heart, on top of the break with Barnabas and the dispute with Peter at Jerusalem (Galatians 2:11-14).
How many of us are willing to let something go in order to step into God's calling? Remember the young man in Luke 9:59-60: "Follow me." "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." The father wasn't even dead yet. In plain terms, he was saying: "Lord, I'll follow you, but let me collect my inheritance first." Result: he missed the chance to follow Christ, because he was thinking of himself.
Because of Paul's obedience, the gospel reached Europe. If Paul had stayed at Troas looking for his friend, you might not be where you are today, spiritually speaking.
5. Mary at Jesus' feet: giving what is most precious
After Lazarus is raised, a meal is arranged. Mary comes in with a jar of expensive perfume and pours it on Jesus' feet, then wipes them with her hair (John 12:1-8). The disciples are indignant: "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?" They're thinking about the price (a year's wages). They're thinking about themselves. Jesus, on the other hand, says: "She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial."
Mary isn't thinking about her own security. She gives everything. Just days before, she'd been in despair: in her society, two unmarried women without a brother were worth nothing. Jesus gave her Lazarus back. Her way of saying thank you is to offer everything. "Now, Lord, I have you. Everything I have, I've given to you."
Today, Jesus isn't asking you to sell your house or quit your job (unless he's revealed that to you personally). He's asking for what is most precious to you. And if you're a child of the Father, what's most precious to you is no longer riches. It's the testimony of Christ. It's that power Peter speaks of to the crippled man at the Temple: "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk" (Acts 3:6).
6. Being filled with the Holy Spirit to become a true witness
If today you're still thinking "me," the Holy Spirit wants to tell you: "and others." You can be a blessing to others through what you're going through right now. But for that, you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Not just at the moment of the baptism in the Spirit, but filled again, again and again, everywhere, until you overflow with him.
Being a witness means two things: being a witness of the character of Christ (the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, Galatians 5:22-23), and being a witness of the power of Christ. Nothing more, nothing less.
Without love, you'll be nothing and you'll be able to do nothing (1 Corinthians 13). The Spirit who fills you is the Spirit of love. Reaching out to others isn't about giving them what you have materially, it's about giving them the power of Jesus Christ: words, revelations, prophecies, healing for the sick, wisdom, faith that gets passed on.
Key Takeaways
- The world isn't looking for lukewarm believers, it's looking for sons and daughters of God who know who they are.
- Every gift God has given you (speaking, writing, organizing, art, wisdom) can become a door for the gospel.
- Acts 1:8 begins with "but": without the power of the Holy Spirit, there's no true witness.
- Obeying God's call sometimes costs you a friend, a plan, or a comfort, as Paul experienced at Troas.
- What God is asking you to give today isn't your money, it's your testimony.
Personal Application
- What is the gift God has placed in you that you still don't dare put to use for his Kingdom?
- In what area of your life have you stayed focused on "what about me?" when God is calling you to look at "others"?
- Is there a "Titus" you're absolutely waiting for before you obey the call God has given you?
- What is most precious to you today, and are you willing to lay it at Jesus' feet like Mary did?
- Take a moment this week to ask God to fill you again with the Holy Spirit, not only for yourself, but so you can overflow toward others.
Verses Cited
- Romans 8:19 · Creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
- Acts 1:6-8 · "But you will receive power... you will be my witnesses."
- Acts 16:6-10 · The vision of the man from Macedonia.
- 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 · Paul at Troas, with no rest in his spirit.
- Acts 15:36-40 · The disagreement between Paul and Barnabas.
- Luke 9:57-62 · "Follow me" and the hesitant disciple.
- John 12:1-8 · Mary pours perfume on Jesus' feet.
- Acts 3:1-10 · Peter and the crippled man at the Temple: "What I have I give you."
- Galatians 5:22-23 · The fruit of the Spirit.
- Esther 4:14 · "Who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this."
FAQ
Do I need a "big" ministry for the world to be waiting for me?
No. Romans 8 says creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God, not Christian celebrities. What God has given you, "small or great," is already awaited right where he has placed you. It's your identity as a son that counts, not the size of your platform.
How do I know if I'm still thinking "me" instead of "others"?
A good indicator is your frustration. When you're constantly frustrated because a circumstance isn't going your way, that's a sign you're turned inward. A witness sees that same circumstance as an opportunity to give something to someone.
Do I only receive the power of the Holy Spirit at the moment of the baptism in the Spirit?
No. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is something to renew again and again. The Bible shows this happening more than once to the same people (Acts 2, Acts 4:31...). Every day, you can ask to be filled again, so you overflow toward others rather than resting on a past experience.
to take notes and ask questions.