When I hear the word submission, it often makes me cringe. It can lead us to believe it demands a shrinking of ourselves, a lessening or deforming of who we are. But I wonder if Esther can give us a different picture of submission being an empowerment of who God created us to be in his image as servant leaders. What if the deformation of ourselves is a version of compliance, not submission? One is the outcry of fear and the other of trust. Esther does things her way, but not out of rebellion. It is birthed from a place of trusting in a God she confidently knows is a Rescuer who freely extends his favor to her because of who she is. She still wrestles with the how, but in the end, she embraces who she is to creatively do things her way, while mysteriously also doing it God’s way.

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Reflection:

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✅ When you hear the word submissive, what emotions does that evoke? Where has submission not gone well in your life? On the flip side, can you think of a time where being submissive to authority has brought you peace and assurance?

✅ Are you in a situation where compliance has become the virtue rather than submission? Are you able to shift it from positional into building relationships? Can you communicate safe boundaries and expectations? Or has it gotten to a place where deformation is happening rather than transformation? 

✅ What is your “Hineni” that you’ve been dragging your feet on? What has God been asking you to do that you’re delaying in your response of Here I am. Use me. Send me.

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The Story of Esther:

A Product of Anchor + Waves

Channel Credits

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🎙️ HOST:: Kim Fearing

🎛️ PRODUCER:: Lepard Productions

🎨 CREATIVE DIRECTOR:: Colin McFarland

A Product of Lepard Productions and the Mission Hills Podcast Network in Littleton, CO.

© Mission Hills Church - All Rights Reserved