“When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?’ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ‘Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.’ So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.” Esther 5:12-17
I was thrilled when I saw a job advertisement for an executive director position focused on creating new places for new people.
I had been a church planter for 12 years, more recently working as a new church strategist and coach. I was confident that the Lord was prompting me to apply for this new position, yet I was nervous because a woman had never served as director of this national team. After praying about it and talking with my mentors, I decided to apply, thinking the worst that could happen was having them say, “no.”
I knew I was qualified and felt strongly that I was the right person to lead this team into the future. I was offered the position a few weeks after I applied. The salary was less than I expected, but I was confident I could manage the budget and accomplish the goals I had set. So I accepted the role. The words from the book of Esther resonated with me, maybe I had been called to the Kingdom for such a time as this!
A year into this position, as I was reviewing old files, I found the salary history for the previous executive director. I was shocked to find out that the previous director, who was a man with similar experience and qualifications as me, was paid almost 20,000 more than my current compensation. I felt hurt and disappointed to find this kind of inequity in this Christian organization.
I wondered what I should do with this information? If I broached the conversation, it could cost me my job, or my reputation with my supervisor and the organization that I really cared about and wanted to work for. I was afraid, and yet, I couldn’t shake the unfairness of being paid less than my predecessor even though we shared the same responsibilities, workload, and experience.
As women in leadership, when we uncover inequalities and injustice, we face a decision.
- Do we remain quiet to keep the peace and our job?
- Do we speak up with courage for the sake of ourselves, other women who go after us, and the health of the organization we work for?
- Do we possess the bravery and the voice to advocate for ourselves and others, even if it means risking the consequences and pain of our voice not being heard or acknowledged?
These were the questions I asked myself as I considered if I would seek justice and equity in my situation.
Again, I turned to the story of Esther as my guide.
Seek Wise Counsel
Esther listened to the advice of Mordecai who served as a wise mentor for her. The Mordecai in my situation, my mentor, was a woman in executive leadership at a local university. She said these words: “Women don’t get what they deserve, but what they negotiate.” She challenged me to be courageous, speak up, and own my God-given worth and value. She explained that if I didn’t speak up for myself, other women would be paid less than they deserve simply because that is how some systems work.
Fast and Pray in Community
Before Esther went to the king to speak on behalf of her people, she asked Mordecai to gather the community in prayer and fasting. Following Esther’s example, I went to the women in my prayer group and asked them to pray and fast with me as I considered what I would do. We prayed for God’s direction and wisdom and for the courage to follow the advice of my mentor by exposing the inequality I had discovered and asking to be compensated fairly for the work I was doing. I realized I would not only be speaking for myself but for other employees within the organization. This was new for me and I needed prayer and guidance from God.
Speak with Courage
After seeking wise counsel, praying, and fasting in community with others, it was time to speak up. I requested a meeting with my supervisors. The meeting was tense, and even a bit awkward. Negotiating and asking to be paid fairly for my work was new to me. The organization had biases in their hiring practices and salary structures that they were not aware of. I presented a detailed comparison of my responsibilities, achievements, and experiences with those of the previous director, highlighting the disparity in compensation. I also proposed a new salary structure that would ensure fair compensation for all employees.
My request was favorably approved, and I was compensated equally to my male colleagues for the work I contributed to our team.
God created me, and I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Just like God invited Esther to advocate to the king to change the laws so the Jewish people were saved, I think God invites us as women today to be strong and courageous and call out injustice when it exists. We can work to create more just systems for all mistreated people.
I couldn’t have achieved this without the unwavering support of my mentor and the prayers of my circle. Their encouragement and belief in me gave me the strength to stand up for what is right. I felt gratitude as I learned to use my God-given voice to speak truth to power. I experienced gratitude as I shared the news of my raise with my mentor and my prayer circle. Others expressed gratitude when the rules changed at the company, and they stopped discriminating in pay for men and women who did the same job.
Hopefully you aren’t facing an unfair compensation situation, but perhaps like Esther, you are being called to step out of your comfort zone and to lead in a risk-taking way for the sake of his people and his Kingdom. These same steps: seeking wise counsel, fasting, and praying, and then speaking up with courage can be applied to many different difference-making and Kingdom-expanding situations.
We can make a difference as women when we stand up, speak up, celebrate who we are, and share our God-given gifts with the world for such a time as this!
