Do you know the story of Esther? She was a quiet Jewish girl who essentially won a beauty contest to marry the king. Years later, she learned of a plot to kill the Jews in her country and bravely went before the king to plead for them, even though it could bring death to her.

But she wasn’t naturally brave. At first, she hesitated. Her uncle told her she needed to go before the king, and she paused. She knew the consequences and she had to decide if it was worth it. Her first instinct was to remain in her comfortable life and not take the chance.

If she remained silent, her uncle told her, the Jews would find deliverance elsewhere, but added “who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Does that phrase sound familiar to you? How many times have you heard something similar to that in a speech, a commercial or just talking with your friends the last few weeks?

“These are unprecedented times.”

“In these times …”

“During these uncertain times …”

As most of the world is going through different measures to protect itself and its residents from the coronavirus pandemic, it can be a difficult and scary time for many people, and your instinct may be to shrink back and ride it out. But what if instead, you bravely stand up and face whatever God is calling you to do during this time.

What is that calling? Only you can know. And it will probably look different for each person. Perhaps God is calling you to take courage and be a teacher for your children. Maybe God is calling you to reach out to the vulnerable in your community and help them with their shopping or chores. Perhaps you have expertise and need to be a voice in your community.

I don’t know specifically what your calling is, and, like Esther, there is no guarantee of a positive outcome, but one thing is for certain, God definitely has a calling for your life. But are you brave enough to enact it “for such a time as this”? Spend this week asking God to reveal his calling to you and then take courage, rise up and fulfill it.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9