Like Mary: Christmas with Be Inspired Again
This Christmas Jesus’ birth is sitting with me in a different way. The story leading up to His birth has been severely undervalued in my world. In addition to Mary having the favor of God, she had INCREDIBLE faith. Unlike Zechariah the priest who, after being visited by an angel had to be mute until Johns birth, she took the angelic visitor at their word. A word that didn’t come from the mind or heart of the angel, but was a message from the one that her heart adored. It was her posture in her relationship with God that prepared her for that moment. She didn’t all of a sudden grow in great faith, she’d been walking uprightly and following after God’s heart.
As a little girl I heard Mary’s story and wanted an intimate relationship with God like she had. I wanted to experience God’s sweet favor like she had. Even wishing that I could’ve given birth to Jesus ( the hilarious mind of Jazmine the child lol). At the heart of that desire was a fierce desire to be engrossed in God’s love and favor.
In Mary’s story I’m amazed at how she, who had found favor with God had such a relatable moment of “fear” and “bewilderment”.
“Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her.”
Luke 1:29 TPT
But her Heavenly Father knew how to speak to the depths of her heart and she had “ears to hear”:
“But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift.”
Luke 1:30 TPT
I sometimes wonder if Mary questioned the word God gave her after this holy visitation?
Did Mary ever doubt after initially deciding to yield to faith and not fear? Did her swollen feet, cravings and labor pain tempt her to give God the side eye. (Don’t act like you haven’t... because I know that I have). Were there smears from doubters and on lookers as the wedding date and birth of Jesus didn’t quite “add up”? Did it bother her?
It bothers me. Explaining to friends new and old about career choices and the lack thereof has been a challenge for me. Sharing my hearts posture about the man I love and the rocky road that we are on has been an area of difficulty for me. In my prayer time and worship the instruction was beautiful and sharing with the “like minded” was easy. But what about the others? What about the things I do and don’t do because I’m waiting on God and following His instruction to believe?
Like Mary, I’m doing my best to yield to faith , not fear, and to adopt a posture of ‘“This is amazing!... As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.”
Luke 1:38 TPT
I’m sure this initial response helped set the tone for Mary’s life from that moment forward.
Acceptance.
A posture of acceptance. Mary accepted God’s will for her life. She knew it wouldn’t be a walk in the park, but she set her GPS on God’s face and took Him at His word. This Christmas let’s take Him at His word and celebrate Jesus’ birth. The hope for humanity. Mary’s sweet baby boy who has changed the course of all of our lives.
What does it look like for you and I to accept what God is speaking over us? What word from God should you accept?