Doing what is right can be risky. Just ask Dr. King, whose home was bombed by his racist neighbors. Or the apostle Paul, who was stoned for telling the nations about Jesus. Or Jesus, who had more enemies than friends despite being the Righteous One of heaven. 

Confessing our most embarrassing sins is risky. While the right thing is to bring our darkness into the light, we tend to keep quiet about certain struggles. Confronting other people’s sins is risky too. It is good and right to confront sin instead of enabling it, but we fear risking the relationship. Sharing our faith in Christ feels the same, a risk that we often aren’t willing to take.

That’s why we need to remember a classic verse from the book of Esther. When Esther was afraid to plead for the lives of her Jewish people, her cousin Mordecai urged her, “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Mordecai couldn’t guarantee a perfect result, but he did believe that God put Esther in her position not to relax in the palace but to do what was righteous.

Our Father did the same for you. He gave you a church so you could be honest with your fellow believers. He gave you the chance to correct someone’s wayward behavior. He gave you that neighbor to love and invite to learn of Jesus. I know it makes you nervous. But doing right is worth the risk!