Power Moves: A 7-Day Reading Plan to Rediscover Your Inner StrengthSample

Day Two: Power Move: Choose Boldly

You can’t withstand the consequences of defying a system without a powerful mission. I’m reminded of Esther in the Old Testament. She was a beautiful young woman who had survived by denying her Jewish heritage. Even when she was chosen to be the concubine of the Persian king, she maintained her disguise.

It wasn’t until she was made aware of the persecution of her people that she had some tough decisions to make. What I like about the story is that Esther did not immediately grab her cape and run in the direction of destruction. She had legitimate concerns about the consequences of revealing her identity.

Once Esther weighed her options, she chose to break out of the system that had offered her peace and to align with the path that would require her to stand on truth. Esther was not God’s only option for liberation, but she was her family’s only option.

Ultimately, Esther chose power over the illusion of peace and became a force. You’ll have to do the same: to start questioning whether you’ve chosen an illusion of peace that requires you to stifle your authenticity.

Esther was informed that her illusion had an expiration date, and she could wait for it to all come apart or dare to move. God can’t infuse strength into anything built on a lie. It’s only in the dismantling that we are able to build our lives again with the structural integrity that transforms things for our entire community.

You don’t have to choose between being a strong friend and a delicate lover or pick whether you’ll shatter ceilings or make homemade bread. You can be the life of the party and a pillar of wisdom. You don’t have to relegate power to one expression while diminishing the fullness of your identity. Esther was the queen of Persia and a Jew. Until those truths learned to coexist, liberation for herself and her community would stay out of reach. She unlocked power, changed mentalities, and learned something about herself when she broke the covenant with comfort.

Now, that’s the kind of power move I want to experience.

Respond:

In what areas of your life do illusions of peace hold you back, and how can you break free authentically?

Prayer:

God, please show me where I have allowed an illusion of peace to keep me from acting in boldness and faith. Amen.