Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah all had praiseworthy traits that I would not be ashamed of if I had or have them. I will let others be the judge of that though. I will combine Ezra and Nehemiah because the prominent trait in their lives that did the most good for the most people and best glorified God and exemplified God working through them is their leadership. Specifically, their “servant of the servants of God leadership” they exhibited in their obvious inclination to call on the Lord before moving forward. They called on Him for wisdom and discernment, they called on him for guidance. They chose to obey Him, worshipped Him, “blessed” Him with praises of thanksgiving. These are very admirable traits for any true Christian leader to aspire to. They seemed as if they put God first in nearly everything they did and by doing this they worked down into the hearts of those they led because those they led knew that their best interest was in God’s will was at the heart of Nehemiah’s and Ezra’s motives. You cannot ask much more from a leader than this. The spiritual health of those Nehemiah and Ezra were leading was of primary importance to these men. The building projects were nearly as important but secondary. As God said to David after he noted that he lived in palace while God lived in a tent, God replies that, “Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?” What God is saying here is the He is more concerned with the condition of His people’s hearts than an earthly abode. A good and Godly leader recognizes this important distinction. I can only hope I do the same as I am entrusted to lead others in a spiritual manner.
Additionally, even if the immediate earthly gains or losses are not apparent, those servants know that in the long haul, their eternal well-being is at the heart of every move their leader makes because that leader is depending on God. And God has assured us that He is working for the good of those who love Him. I also admire the servant leadership of these men because I myself have been in leadership roles on both sides and know how important it is. I have had Gestapo like bosses and they ruled iron-fisted. This is may be a good manager but it is poor leadership. I took the opposite tact as a leader and used Christ as the perfect example. He came not to be served but to serve. I didn’t let people use me as a door mat but I didn’t use them as one either. I always asked what it was I could do to make situations better not ask that of my “subordinates”. Although these people were below me on a hierarchical management chart I treated them as equals or superiors depending on the situation and who I was dealing with. It makes life easier to know that it is actually God in charge anyway. Most leaders forget this aspect of leadership, in business and sadly, in the church also.
Esther’s trait I admired was her courage/faith in God under fire or should I say, in the line of fire. She knew she was risking her life going before the king without his okay or acknowledgement. Her reaction to the risk was “If I perish, I perish”. She knew the end result would’ve been dictated by a sovereign God anyway. Nothing happens in God’s universe without Him first knowing about it and Him allowing it. Life or death for a person is in the hands of the Lord and regardless of the outcome it is for our best interest. Yes, even dying. Esther knew this an accepted it. It made it vastly easier for her to approach the king. Obviously, there may have been fear and trepidation but it was tempered with the aforementioned thoughts and the fear would’ve been defanged or had most of its teeth removed by faith in the Lord.
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