Beautiful: Inside and Out

“Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter. . . . Esther gained favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her. . . . The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She won more favor and approval from him . . . He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti” (Esther 2:15-17).

Do you know any beauty queens? Let me introduce you to Esther. Esther’s Jewish name was Hadassah which means “Myrtle,” a beautiful fragrant tree. Her Persian name Esther means “star,” as in Venus, a symbol of beauty and good fortune. Esther embodied her name. Esther had natural beauty and charm that required no unique adornments to make her more attractive. She was one of the four most beautiful women in history along with Sarah, Rahab, and Abigail, according to Jewish tradition.

What set Esther apart was not only her beauty without; it was her beauty within. She modeled grace before everyone. She displayed an unusual restraint, in telling no one she was Jewish. She had a teachable spirit, following instruction. She never got a big head, thinking she knew it all. Before seeing the king, she refused pampering, excess bathing, and oil treatment. She did not succumb to the temptations around her. Maybe she had no driving ambition to be the queen. Maybe her life did not revolve around her physical appearance or making a king happy. She was content “in her own skin.” She was authentic. She was real—just the way God created her.

As a result, she found favor with all whom she came into contact from the king’s servant to the women who were competing against her for being the Queen to the king himself. She had a pleasant, delightful, and winsome demeanor. People were drawn to her. She was engaging. Perhaps those are the real reasons she became Queen.

What can we learn from Esther’s life?

Character and inner attractiveness can be cultivated. We may not get to choose our height, complexion, body size, or facial features, but we can decide to live with integrity, humility, grace, and respect for others that emanates from the inside. As we live in close contact with God, his grace, mercy, and hope will rub off on us and, therefore, be expressed to others. Let’s emphasize a joyful spirit and grace over physical appearance and outward beautifications. Inward beauty trumps outward beauty in the long run.

Circumstances cannot be controlled. While we can plan and prepare for where we go to school, who we chose to befriend, what will be our vocation; many situations are beyond our control. We can’t wait for the circumstances to be perfect. In those moments, the strength of character and personal resolve will come to the forefront. Positive attitude and hopeful perseverance will enable us to thrive even in less than ideal circumstances.

Remember Esther. She was a slave in a foreign land. At the height of competition, surrounded by sensual, greedy, superficial girls, Esther stood alone. And, amazingly, God gave her favor in others’ eyes. She’s a great model for us all.

About Rick Ezell

I am a husband, father, pastor, and writer. This blog is about shaping character, transforming church, and impacting culture. I believe that if one defines their moments then their moments will determine their character and their character will influence their world. I write on personal development, church leadership, and our changing culture. I also write about the resources I am developing and the books I am writing. My goal is to create challenging, relevant, and inspiring content that will help you be a better person, the church be a better parish, and the world a better place. If you are interested in those things, this blog is for you. I have served the church my entire career as a student minister and senior pastor. I studied at Samford University, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary (eventually I will get it). I have written eight books. My most recent ones are Chapter 13: The Excellence of Love and Soul Therapy: The Healing Words of Psalm 23. Both are available as eBooks. I have written over 1000 articles for various local, regional, and national publications. I have been married to Cindy for thirty-three years. We have one wonderful daughter. We live in Greenville, SC. In my free time, I enjoy writing, reading, running, tennis, and golf. You can contact me via email or follow me on Twitter or Facebook. This is my personal blog. The opinions I express here do not necessarily represent those of my employer. The information I provide is on an as-is basis. I make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information on this blog and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its use.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply