The Power of an Orphan’s Potential

​In Esther 2:7, we read about how Mordecai took in his cousin Hadassah, also known as Esther, after she lost both of her parents. She was an orphan. Little did they know that this act of kindness would lead to Esther being used by God to save the Jewish people from destruction.

Esther was brought up for such a time as this, and it was Mordecai’s decision to step up and father her that allowed her to be in the right place at the right time to be mightily used by God. This story highlights the potential that lies within each and every person, especially those who may not have been given the same opportunities as others.

As Christians, we believe that every life has immense value. We fight for orphans because we see their potential, and we are called to care for and protect them. The Bible is full of verses about how much God cares for and protects the fatherless, and He commands us to do the same. Psalm 68:5-6 says, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.”

It’s amazing to think that God introduces Himself as a father to the fatherless. It’s not just something He does, it’s who He is. He cares deeply for the orphan, and it doesn’t always make sense to us why He does. In the kingdom of earth, people are often rewarded based on their merit – their ability to push a mission forward. But in the kingdom of God, it’s different. God values us for who we are, not just what we can do. He sees the potential in each and every one of us, and He wants us to see it too.

Orphan care is like mining. It’s dirty, messy, and exhausting, but we keep digging because we’re after their gold. We keep pressing because we believe in their potential. Every orphan has the potential to become someone great, and it may just take us to help bring it out.

Let’s be like Mordecai, who saw the potential in Esther and stepped up to help her reach it. Let’s be like God, who sees the potential in us and wants us to reach it. And let’s be like Jesus, who came to earth to bring the kingdom of God and advance its mission here.

So let’s keep digging, keep pressing, and keep fighting for the potential that lies within every single person.