The Privileged Life: From Worry to Worship
“ And Mary said: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant.’” (Luke 1:46-48 NKJV)
As a former public relations director, I’m used to things going wrong.
When planning for special events, I try to identify a worst-case scenario and prepare for it, intending to be flexible. But even back-up plans don’t completely ease my worries.
This weekend was a prime example.
Our church choir was ready to perform a Christmas music program with orchestra and narrator. I had written the narration part and helped set things up. But our dress rehearsal the day earlier had revealed a problem: the instrumental music was drowning out the voice of the narrator, even with a microphone.
I left the rehearsal worried and discouraged, wondering if the problem could be resolved and if anyone would hear the words. I prayed much of the night and through the morning, asking several other prayer warriors to do the same.
Once I was back at church, a last-minute suggestion offered hope. With the help of others, we frantically searched for a different microphone, found it had dead batteries, made another frantic search for fresh batteries, and got everything reset only five minutes before the service. I raced to my spot in the choir loft and prayed again, leaving it all in God’s hands.
Praise His name! Everything worked! God was most definitely present with us in the details, especially in technological solutions and unexpected help from others. The narration and music worked together smoothly and beautifully, to the glory of Jesus Christ. Whew!
I’m so very thankful for His answers to prayers, and He granted me a sweet relief from my fretting after I put it all in His care. I was able to truly worship God in His house with my beloved church family.
Are your seasonal worries inhibiting your worship? Do you find your mind straying, with your focus drifting to problems while you’re in a worship service? Do you, as I often do, tend to fret instead of falling at His feet?
I think you and I could benefit from looking to the example of the two people closest to Jesus Christ at His arrival—Mary and Joseph. Let’s see how they responded to their own Christmas crisis by faithfully entrusting their precious Son to His Father God.
We first meet Mary when she is greeted by Gabriel, the same angel who visited Zacharias, priest and father of John the Baptist. As with Zacharias, Gabriel delivers an incredible announcement—that Mary will become the mother of the long-awaited Messiah.
Mary believes…and she responds with trust, humility, and complete obedience. She worships her Lord in a beautiful song, extolling His holiness, mercy, strength, and compassion. Mary accepts her role as a maidservant, and she rejoices in what God will achieve through her…she knows that nothing is impossible with Him.
Joseph also is righteous. When he learns of Mary’s condition, he desires to preserve her from shame, resolving to quietly divorce her. But an angelic vision changes Joseph’s plans. Joseph is told to take Mary as his wife…that her Son will save God’s people.
Joseph, like Mary, answers immediately in worship to his God…with the same trust, humility, and obedience. Joseph obeys God’s commands despite social rejection. He obeys the laws of the land, taking Mary to his hometown for the census—fulfilling the prophecy that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem. Joseph obeys God’s word, too, calling the baby by the name the angel has provided—Jesus.
Can you imagine being called to be the parents of the Son of God? Can you empathize with their stress, worry, and angst in being responsible for the care of this Holy Infant? You can hear it in Mary’s voice when she and Joseph “lost” Jesus in Jerusalem when He was a youth—“Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” (See Luke 2:41-52.)
I have no doubt that Mary and Joseph were, like us, humanly prone to worry. Yet despite momentary weaknesses, they both were true worshippers, obeying God’s commands and leadership through difficult days.
Friends, let’s turn our Christmastime worry into worship by following their example. Let’s place all our cares and fretfulness upon Jesus, acting in complete trust, humility, and obedience to His will. He is faithful to help us through our tough times and anxieties.
How glorious our worship will be when we see Him face to face in heaven, to thank Him for coming to our aid so many times! Sure, there are days when He sends us through the fire and the consequences of living in a darkened world. But His light and presence are always there to guide us forward. Let’s enjoy the privilege of worshipping Him this season and find our peace in His sovereignty over all things…even little batteries.
Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, how I praise You for giving me Your hope in this fretful season of my life. Deliver me from the bondage of worry and sin, that I may be free to bow down in true worship at Your feet. Let me find my peace and strength in You. Lead me forward by Your light to welcome Your arrival on this earth and share Your unspeakable gift of joy and good news with others. Thank You for coming to be among us as our Savior. In Your blessed name, Amen.
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2024 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #Advent #Christmas #MaryandJoseph #Christmasstory #worry #Christmasanxiety #Jesus
