What we can learn from Mary

Coming up on the Christmas season I thought I would share one of my favorite moments from the bible. It comes from the New Testament. It is the story of Mary and the angel Gabriel. It is the moment when he shows up and tells her that she is going to give birth to Jesus. As we know this is not an ordinary birth. This birth came with many trials. A virgin birth, who is going to believe that? What I love is her response when she is told what is going to happen. You can read it here in Luke 1:35-38

The angel answered, “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.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”

I am fully convinced that Mary had no idea what was really ahead of her. I am sure at this time she had no idea the scorn she would face, the disbelief for her being a virgin, the manger she would give birth in, or that she would have to see her son hang on a cross and die. But in that moment, she was not thinking of herself. I love her response, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” There are a few things to point out about this moment, she believed, she was available, and she was willing. The trust she displayed in God is simply amazing. How often in our lives do we have to see the plan, the end result, the path we will take, and the trials we will face, before we trust God. What would happen if we accepted God’s plan, no matter how much sense it made. If we took every circumstance in life and said “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” I find so much inspiration in the faith of Mary here. She had enough faith in how big God is, that it didn’t matter how much sense this made, what she knew was that she was His servant and was willing to do anything He said. I want to live a life like that. I want to be able to say let it be to me as you have said, no matter what he asks of me. And not just to say it, but to rejoice in the thought of it as well. To have the same kind of joy Mary had when she rejoiced with Elizabeth and sang

Luke 1:46-55
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me–
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers.”

As Men we need to lead the way with this kind of heart, because as Men there is a lot we can learn from this moment in the life of Mary. We should be available and willing to submit to the will of God no matter what the circumstances may be. May we remember this every day, not just at Christmas. May the cry of our hearts be “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.”