Do Hard Things. That’s the title of a book I read this summer. Written by Alex and Brett Harris (19-year-old twin brothers of Joshua Harris—author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye) the book challenges teens to rebel against rebellion. To rebel against the low expectations people have of teens. The book is an invitation for teens to join the “rebelution.” To do hard things. It includes the challenge to respect the authorities in their lives, ask for direction and help and to collaborate.I’m no longer a teenager . . . yet the book spoke to me. It was a reminder that to be faithful to God and to the mission He has given the Seventh-day Adventist Church my life needs to be lived in constant rebellion against the standards of the world. That often means I have to do hard things.

Queen Esther was an early “rebelutionary.” We all know about Esther’s decision when called upon to risk her life. But it was all the “little” hard things that built her faith and prepared her for that big test.

Esther lived in a land of exile, her parents were gone and she was being raised by a wise older cousin. Esther’s outward beauty was so profound, yet it was surpassed by an inner beauty that allowed her to accomplish THE hard thing for God’s people. God knew He could trust Esther’s faith in Him. She sought and followed Mordecai’s godly counsel. She solicited the prayers of God’s people and her small group of maidens. She planned strategically and rose above the expectations of the enemies of God. The result was the saving of a nation and one more piece of the cosmic puzzle was put in place—preparing the way for Ezra and Nehemiah, the command in 457 B.C., prophetic fulfillment, and the Advent Movement.

Now other pieces need to be put in place before that cosmic picture is complete. God needs you and me to be faithful—to do hard things. To go where He wants us to go and to say what He wants us to say.

This blog post has been guest written by Pastor Esther R. Knott.