When the Ache Is Holy

Have you ever watched the news and felt something twist inside you? Not just sadness. Something closer to protest.

That feeling has a name, and it isn’t weakness. It’s the ache of being made in God’s image. When we see cruelty or unfairness and something in us says this isn’t right, that’s the spirit stirring. We’re built to long for what God longs for - a world of justice, mercy, and peace.

Esther knew that ache. When her people faced destruction, her cousin Mordecai brought her the news and asked her to go before the king and plead for mercy (Esther 4:7-8). It would have been easier to stay quiet. She had a comfortable position. Speaking up put that - and her life - at risk.

But something holy stirred in her, and she rose.

Most of us will never stand before a king. But we do carry influence - at home, at work, among our friends, in our corps and communities. The question Esther faced is the same one that reaches us: what will we do with what we’ve been given?

Jesus showed us what this looks like. He noticed who the world overlooked. He stepped toward the very things others stepped around.

So here’s a simple prayer for today: God, show me one place where you’re asking me to speak up or act, even if it feels small. Then listen. Then act.

Justice starts the moment we stop looking away.

I unpack this more fully in today’s devotional - you can watch it here: