If Only Queen Esther Could Have Used a Smartphone.

It makes me sad when good people spend more time and energy talking about injustice than they do actively investing their time and money on ground-level projects that impact real people in their sphere of influence and community. We must be careful not to assume that voicing an opinion, no matter how righteous it may be, or how unpopular it is, is "doing our part" unless we have also, are also, actually doing something about it.

Nehemiah is a good and relevant example for us today. He had a swanky government job; he was cup-bearer to the King of Persia. But he received news from some travelers that the Jews back in Jerusalem were suffering and in great need. With great risk to himself, both his job and his life, he went to the king and asked for help that he might go and do something about it. What if smartphones, the internet, and social media were available to him? Imagine if he blasted his social media downline with all the suffering and injustice taking place to the Jews in Jerusalem? Then he spent hours defending his position through chat threads and condemning those who thought otherwise. Would that have made him feel vindicated for speaking up for his brothers and letting everyone know of the problem and how they should think about it? He had all this righteous angst and pent-up emotion that he would unload every night after work. What if he thought all his "work", really "words" were him doing the Lord's work? But not Nehemiah, he knew that alerting others to the injustice was not enough; he had to do something about it. And he did.

Another great example of action beyond words is Queen Esther. She also risked her life to save those who were sure to die. She did not advocate in words only, but in action and truth.

Stating an opinion is doing nothing. Do you want your voice to be heard? Do you want the influence that actually evokes change in others? Then show with your actions.

1 John 3:18 "Dear children, let's not love in word (social media posts) or talk but in deed and in truth."

Imagine how much better our world would be if we were so busy doing and showing that we haven't the time to waste on social media.