Mary had the kind of faith I envy - Today Can Be Different

Do you have a hard time trusting God when He leads you in a new direction? Has it become harder to believe God has a plan for your life?

When the angel Gabriel told Mary that God had chosen her, a virgin, to give birth to the Messiah (see Luke 1:26-38), Mary could have offered legitimate reasons why this didn’t fit into her plans. She could have explained to Gabriel that becoming pregnant might make Joseph call off their wedding. Or she could have said no because she didn’t want to endure what others would say about her out-of-wedlock pregnancy.

Yet, despite all this, Mary (possibly only 12-16 years old) responded to Gabriel’s news by saying, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38 ESV).

I envy Mary’s mature faith, don’t you? Don’t you admire her confidence in God, even when circumstances seemed implausible? The way she was able to recognize her Lord’s right to direct her life in the direction He had chosen for her? Wouldn’t you love to have a yielded spirit like Mary’s?

Most of all, don’t you envy Mary’s absolute trust in her Father’s love for her – which is why she was able to say yes to God when He revealed His extraordinary will for her?

I wonder, if the circumstances surrounding God’s will for us seemed extraordinary and implausible, would we respond with the same faith. I fear many of us would more likely present our case as to why we couldn’t – or wouldn’t – comply.

Just as it did for Mary in the Christmas story, God’s direction for us may involve being rejected by the ones closest to us, misjudged by our neighbors or (as happened later for Mary as a young mother) having to start a different life in an unfamiliar area.

But what would happen if we trusted God? If we believed He could do whatever necessary to pave the way for His will to be done in our lives? Even if it seemed impossible. Even if it cost us everything.

Think what Mary would have missed out on had she said no to God’s plan.

When we choose a different path than the one God has chosen for us, it could turn out badly – perhaps disastrous – for us (and maybe for others who would be affected by our decision).

Not to mention the unbelievably extraordinary adventures we’d miss out on.

What do you think?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this post. (Others might also benefit from your comment.)

• When you read Luke 1 in the Bible, what can you learn from Mary’s response to God’s new direction for her life?

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