TREASURES OF THE BIBLE, Week September 11 to 17, 2023, “Help others to be the best version of themselves”, Prepared Speech.

TREASURES OF THE BIBLE, September 11-17, 2023, “Help others to be the best version of themselves”, Prepared Speech. 

“Help others be the best version of themselves” (10 mins.)

Let's think about this situation, a father "gives" his son a bicycle. But the son decides to use the bicycle without caution and runs over someone and injures them. Isn't it true that you wouldn't give your child a bicycle to do that? But to use it in a beneficial and positive way. Similarly, Jehovah is the one who gives us “all good “gifts” and all perfect gifts,” to use in an uplifting and positive way, as mentioned in James 1:17. 

One of those “gifts” is our ability to speak and reason, which allows us to express our thoughts, feelings, and actions in a positive way. Although it is true, in this speech we are not going to talk about gifts or bicycles. We will talk about how our words and actions can have a very positive effect on others. 

We can say and do things that help other people and make them feel motivated to be the best version of themselves. However, what we say and do can also harm others, since it can discourage them spiritually, and Jehovah teaches us to use our ability to speak and reason well, since we can use this gift from Jehovah in a positive way to please him. and to encourage and motivate others. 

And that is what Mordecai did, with his words and actions he helped others, especially Esther, to be the best version of herself. And why do we say it? Let's please look at the Biblical record of Esther, Chapter 3, verses 2 to 4. Please accompany me with the reading and let's focus on the qualities that Mordecai demonstrated, when a pressing situation was presented to him. He says the following:

LET'S READ ESTHER 3:2-4.

All the court servants who were at the door of the king's palace bowed and prostrated themselves before Haman, as the king had commanded. But Mordecai refused to bow down and prostrate. 3 Therefore, the court servants who were at the door of the king's palace said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king's command?” 4 Every day they told him the same thing, but he didn't listen to them. So they told Haman to see if he would continue to tolerate Mordecai behaving like that. Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.

As we can see, Mordecai set a good example by being "Brave and Loyal." He demonstrated integrity to God by refusing to bow down to Haman. He recognized that bowing down to Haman meant more than just bowing with him face to the ground before an imminent character, such as had already been done by the Israelites in the past, simply in recognition of that person's superior position as a ruler. In this case Mordecai had good reason not to bow. 

To understand it better, let's look at the context, Haman was probably an Amalekite and Jehovah had indicated that he was at war with Amalek From generation to generation as the Bible mentions in Exodus 17 16 when he said: "For lifting up his hand against the throne of Jah, Jehovah will be at war with the Amalekites generation after generation. 

So we see that it was a matter of integrity to God on Mordecai's part. In this way he set a good example by being brave and loyal. In addition to that, Mordecai helped Esther realize that she could do a lot for her people. That is why he made Esther aware of her serious responsibility and told her to implore the King's favor and help. Although this endangered her own life, we saw that Esther agreed to assume her responsibility. Let's now read Esther 4:7-8. She says like this:

LET'S READ ESTHER 4:7-8.

Mordecai explained everything that had happened to him. He also told him the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasury so that the Jews would be exterminated. 8 Furthermore, he gave him a copy of the law that had been published in Shushan, which ordered the extermination of the Jews. Hathach had to show it and explain it to Esther. He also had to command him to appear before the king to beg his favor and to personally intercede for his people. 

Even though it was decreed to annihilate all the Jews in the empire, Mordecai demonstrated his faith that Esther had ascended to her position of royal dignity precisely at that time with the goal of freeing the Jews. Mordecai made Esther aware of her serious responsibility and told her to implore the king's favor and help. Although this endangered his own life, Esther agreed to take responsibility for him. And what else did Mordecai do to help Esther? What do you think if we read the Biblical record of Esther now, chapter 4 but now verses 12 and 14. If he found it, please accompany me with the reading. He says the following: 

LET'S READ ESTHER 4:12-14.

When Mordecai heard what Esther had said, 13 he answered her: “Do not think that because you are in the royal palace you have a better chance of escaping alive than the other Jews. 14 For if you remain silent at this time, the Jews will receive help and deliverance from somewhere else; but you and your father's family will die. Besides, who knows if you haven't become a queen to help at a time like this?

When the queen received the message, her heart skipped a beat. She was facing the greatest test of faith of her entire life, and in her response to Mordecai she readily admitted that she was afraid. What were the fears about? As she reminded her cousin, Persian law ordered the execution of anyone who appeared before the king without being summoned. When someone did not follow this rule, his only hope was that the monarch would extend his golden scepter to forgive him. But could Esther expect Ahasuerus to show mercy to her? After all, she had shown no mercy to Vashti when she refused to come to her call. To make matters worse, it had been thirty days since he had invited Esther to see him, which perhaps meant that the capricious monarch had lost interest in her. 

Mordecai responded firmly, because he wanted to strengthen his cousin's faith. He assured her that Jehovah would deliver the Jews from attack, whether by her means or by any other means. And he made it clear to him that, if he refused to act, he would hardly be able to save himself when the persecution became more intense. In this way, Mordecai demonstrated that he fully trusted Jehovah, a God who always keeps his promises and who will never allow his people to be annihilated. Finally, he asked Esther: “Who is there who knows whether you have attained royal dignity for such a time as this?” . How much faith and trust in God Mordecai showed! Could the same be said of us?

In our activity guide for this week we can see a series of images: In the first we see an old man encouraging a young man while they preach, and in the young brother's face we see that he feels motivated by the words of our older brother. experience. and in the second the same young man fills out the online application for the School for Kingdom Evangelizers, possibly he did so, upon listening to the motivating words and actions of his brother. And finally we see that some time later, the young man graduates from the School for Evangelizers of the Kingdom. Which shows that our words and actions can greatly influence others, since what we say or do will be decisive for them to be willing to bring out the best version of themselves.

Mordecai helped Esther realize that she could do a lot for her people, and he also helped her to be brave and trust in Jehovah. What lesson can we draw from this beautiful story? We can be like Mordecai in encouraging our brothers and not only with words, but also with actions to help them be the best version of themselves, like Esther, who with the help of Mordecai was also the best version of herself. herself. 

Dear Brothers, let us ask ourselves: Do my words and actions make others the best version of themselves? Surely yes. In conclusion, with our good example we will help our brothers to be brave and loyal and to realize that they can do a lot for Jehovah, since with our words and actions we will encourage them to be brave, to trust in Jehovah, to grow spiritually, and become the best version of themselves, just as Mordecai did with Esther.