Do Not Be Afraid

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His Kingdom will never end.” — Luke 1:30-33

So that’s an announcement that would blow your mind.

I think about Mary and how young and inexperienced she was when the angel dropped this bombshell in her lap. I think of times in my life when I’ve prayed for God to use me in this way or that way — and then I look at Mary. As far as we know, she didn’t ask for this role in God’s plans. I mean, who could come up with that?

Dear God, if You ever decide to send Your Son to earth as a baby to save all of humankind, please let me be His mother.

God simply showed up in her life, and she became part of His plan. This tells me that God saw something in Mary’s heart and spirit and knew she would be faithful even when asked to do something that sounded crazy.

It makes me wonder, when God calls us to that crazy thing or hard place or leads us to something new and unexpected, do we trust Him? Do we have hearts that are open and willing to go where He leads — no matter the cost?

Can we voice the words of a young Mary, who simply said, “I am the Lord’s servant”?

So many times in the Bible, we see God speak to much older and supposedly wiser people who push back with all the reasons they can’t do what He’s asking, and yet here is Mary, with a willing heart, who doesn’t ask a single question or show fear, other than to wonder how she could become pregnant since she was a virgin.

It’s also a great reminder to me that we don’t have to be fearful or stress out over what God is calling us to do. He will show up and lead us where He wants us to go. We just have to have a heart that’s willing to follow Him.

Excerpted with permission from Everyday Holy by Melanie Shankle, copyright Melanie Shankle.

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Your Turn

Sisters, let’s follow Mary’s example this Christmas and trust God no matter what He asks of us. Not just today, but every day going forward. We don’t have to be fearful or stressed out. Let’s say with Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant.” Are you in? Come share your thoughts with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full