SCRIPTURE: Esther 1:16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes: "Queen Vashti has not only wronged the king, but also all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus."
OBSERVATION: The things that we do affect other people, not just ourselves. Typically the number of people we impact goes beyond the number that we might imagine. Like ever-growing circles on the surface of a pond after a rock has been thrown in, my actions have a ripple effect. (This is especially true for people in leadership, like Queen Vashti.)
We don't know why Vashti did what she did, but when the king sent for her she said, "No." You don't say 'no' to a king. For the queen to do that and go unpunished, she suddenly empowers everyone else to be disobedient -- disobedient to the king, to the princes, to their own households, etc. That's how she wronged all those other people, by setting a precedent for disobedience. Maybe she didn't realize it when she did it, but she was affecting a lot of people.
APPLICATION: I should think before I act -- "Who else will be affected by this action?" whatever it is. Paul said if his freedom or action would cause someone else to stumble, then he wouldn't do it. Do I have that same level of commitment?
I hate it when I see people doing things that adversely affect others, like vandalism, stealing or even murder. I should never take it upon myself to take action that hurts another person. Do I do it with my words? My freedoms? My actions?
PRAYER: Jesus, give me insight into how my actions affect others. Amen.
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