Being Part of God's Plan
In Luke 1:35-38, the angel of the Lord speaks to Mary, telling her that "the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." What was Mary's response? She said, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."
Mary has an honored place as being the mother of Jesus. In our Christian circles, we celebrate Mary as a virtuous young woman willfully taking on the responsibility of becoming mother of the Son of God. Still, it's easy to overlook the difficulties Mary faced in accepting this role. She was likely in her mid-teens at the time of the angel's announcement. An unmarried teen pregnancy in Jewish culture at the time would have been quite scandalous. She faced the prospect of being an outcast in her hometown. Further, imagine Mary attempting to explain the circumstances of her pregnancy to her parents and to Joseph, her fianc�. Being part of God's plan was no doubt very difficult for Mary.
One of the characteristics that set Mary apart for her role was her willing obedience. "May it be to me as you have said," was Mary's reply to the angel. This is simply amazing.
We, just like Mary, are part of God's plan to carry His light and love to a needy world. Each of us has been given a different role in His plan, but no one is unimportant. It might be difficult to see ourselves as being active participants in what God is doing in the world. It's not always easy to say yes to God. Saying yes can mean facing difficulties and persecution. But, God always provides the means of sustaining us when we choose obedience to His desires for our lives.
As we celebrate Christmas this year, remember Mary as an example of the obedience God desires of us.
firstIMPRESSIONS Vol. 9.51
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