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A Willing Heart

    As I'm reading through the New Testament, I keep on finding passages with such valid applications for our own day.  Part of my reading today included Luke 1.  There is passage is mainly focusing on the birth of John the Baptist, but Luke takes time to introduce Mary, John's aunt.  He shares the story of the angel, Gabriel, appearing to Mary and telling her that she would have a miraculous pregnancy, and that the child would inherit the throne of His father, David.  That's a lot to swallow, I'm guessing.  Notice Mary's answer.  She says, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word."  Mary embraces without reservation God's will for her life.  She understood her role.  She was God's servant.  Her very existence is at His mercy.  How could she refuse to follow her master's will?  If He wanted her to live a normal life, so be it.  If He wanted her to be the virgin mother of the Savior of the world, so be it.

    This is the attitude that we should seek to cultivate.  Regardless of what God asks us to do, we should do it.  If it's monotonous and boring, then we must be faithful.  If it means abandoning life as we know it and traveling the world, then we must be faithful in that as well.  The only question Mary really asks is, "Wait, how's that gonna work since I'm a virgin?"  Once the angel assures her that God has it covered, Mary humbly cooperates.   She knew that this task was not within her power to accomplish, but if God wanted it done through her, He would find a way to accomplish it.

    We need to see ourselves as servants of a Holy God--a God Who loves to work through His Church.  We need to do anything God asks of us.  We need to respect and trust His will, knowing that His ways are better than our ways.

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