Esther
The Well-Timed Advocate
- Practical
- Organised
- Outgoing
- Warm
Esthers care about the people depending on them and think carefully about when to act. Esther prepared with three days of fasting and two banquets before making her request to the king.
An illustrative Big Five pattern. Further out means a stronger tendency; emotional balance varies from person to person.
They prepare properly when it matters, and they are at ease in a crowd.
They notice who is struggling and want to help in a way that works. Preparing a practical offer can be one way they show their support.
Strengths
They make it work
They look for help that will actually work. Their ideas come with practical steps attached.
They pick their moment
They think about timing. For a hard conversation or a big ask, they work out when it is most likely to be heard.
At ease with people
They enjoy a busy room and are happy to host. A clear invitation can help someone find a way into the gathering.
They feel for others
When someone is hurting or treated badly, they feel it and want to speak up.
Watch-outs
You may keep preparing instead of starting
Waiting for the right time is wise, until it turns into putting it off. If you have prepared enough, pick a day and go.
You may try to fix every part of someone’s problem
You may offer to fix every part of a friend’s problem because you want to help. Ask what would help most, and agree one thing you may realistically do.
You may script a conversation too closely
You may prepare a conversation so closely that an unexpected reply is hard to work with. Write down your main point, then ask a question and listen before continuing.
Esther as a friend
As friends, Esthers often think about what a friend is facing and how to offer useful support. They may take care over the timing of a difficult conversation.
Friends who stand alongside them during their own uncertain moments can help the support go both ways.
What helps them feel close
- Friends who pray with them before something big.
- Time to prepare before being asked for an answer.
- Someone who tells them, “I’m in your corner.”
In everyday life
Youth group
At youth group or on a team, they think about how a plan will affect everyone. They enjoy bringing people together, especially for someone else.
School
They may appreciate time to prepare and a clear deadline. Spreading the work out can leave room to revise without waiting for a perfect first attempt.
Faith
Their faith may feel most real when they pray before something big, or ask others to pray with them. God sees them in the preparing and the waiting, and loves them however it turns out.
Who could support you before a difficult conversation?
Before she went to the king, Esther asked the Jews of Susa to fast for three days and fasted with them. She invited the king to one banquet, then a second, and chose that moment to make her request for her people.
Later she begged the king with tears, asking, “How can I endure to see the evil that would come to my people?”