Luke 1:38
"And Mary said! 'Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her."
I love this part of the story of the birth of Christ. As a single person, I put myself in the place of Mary and try to imagine how she felt and how I would have responded. If God sent an angel to me and told me I was going to become pregnant even though I had not laid with a man I would most likely laugh. When I realized he was serious I imagine myself pleading with him to not allow that to be but to chose someone else. How would my family respond? How would my friends respond? Would they actually believe me? And I think about the looks from the public you would receive, I'm pretty sure I would respond telling the Lord it would be too much for me. But Mary's response was the response of a true servant telling God that as his servant she would do whatever he says.
If you hire house help for your home, you expect the person to do as you ask them. Their job is to serve you. If you work in a restaurant, customers expect you to do whatever they request because your job is to serve them. If you are a believer, you are to do whatever God asks of you because you are here to serve him. How that is so much easier said then done! I have been in Kenya for almost 6 months now and I miss my family dearly. If God asked me to stay for another 6 months or even another month, I would really struggle to say yes. I would argue that I need to go home and see my family. I would remind him of my plans when I return home. I would struggle to do as he says even though, as his servant, I am to honor the request of my Master.
I'm sure the birth of Jesus messed up her plans as well and made her lay aside some of her desires. Being a servant isn't always easier but it is important to acknowledge the plan of the Lord's as better than your own. Are we ready to say as Mary and accept whatever God has in his will for our lives? Are we able to say daily what Jesus said as he prayed before the crucifixion, not my will but yours be done? Jesus suffered for me, am I willing to suffer for God? Am I willing to say everyday to God that I am willing to do whatever it is he is calling me to? Where is my heart? Who am I serving? Am I willing? Am I available?
While being here in Kenya, I have realized how easy it is to just get in a pattern of doing ministry and not really putting my heart into it. Everyday when I wake up I have to sit with the Lord and allow him to put my heart in a place of serving him so I am not doing it for myself but for God. God may ask me to do something that day and I tell him no, but as his servant, he knows what is best for me and I should listen to his instructions. He won't ask me to do anything impossible, even though it may seem impossible to me. I am reminded of the promise that is stated time and time again in the Bible that God will never leave us or forsake us. This promise is great in its self but then think about how many times we abandon God. We leave him, we forsake him yet he never leaves us. We chose to serve self instead of serve him and yet he asks us again to serve him. The beauty of the cross is the forgiveness that we all receive so that even when we walk away from God he accepts us back. That is a good enough reason to serve our King. Most kings don't take back a servant that walked out on him. Our perfect King does! Again I ask myself the question am I willing to everyday die to self and tell God his will not mine? Are you willing? Am I willing?
"And Mary said! 'Behold, I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.' And the angel departed from her."
I love this part of the story of the birth of Christ. As a single person, I put myself in the place of Mary and try to imagine how she felt and how I would have responded. If God sent an angel to me and told me I was going to become pregnant even though I had not laid with a man I would most likely laugh. When I realized he was serious I imagine myself pleading with him to not allow that to be but to chose someone else. How would my family respond? How would my friends respond? Would they actually believe me? And I think about the looks from the public you would receive, I'm pretty sure I would respond telling the Lord it would be too much for me. But Mary's response was the response of a true servant telling God that as his servant she would do whatever he says.
If you hire house help for your home, you expect the person to do as you ask them. Their job is to serve you. If you work in a restaurant, customers expect you to do whatever they request because your job is to serve them. If you are a believer, you are to do whatever God asks of you because you are here to serve him. How that is so much easier said then done! I have been in Kenya for almost 6 months now and I miss my family dearly. If God asked me to stay for another 6 months or even another month, I would really struggle to say yes. I would argue that I need to go home and see my family. I would remind him of my plans when I return home. I would struggle to do as he says even though, as his servant, I am to honor the request of my Master.
I'm sure the birth of Jesus messed up her plans as well and made her lay aside some of her desires. Being a servant isn't always easier but it is important to acknowledge the plan of the Lord's as better than your own. Are we ready to say as Mary and accept whatever God has in his will for our lives? Are we able to say daily what Jesus said as he prayed before the crucifixion, not my will but yours be done? Jesus suffered for me, am I willing to suffer for God? Am I willing to say everyday to God that I am willing to do whatever it is he is calling me to? Where is my heart? Who am I serving? Am I willing? Am I available?
While being here in Kenya, I have realized how easy it is to just get in a pattern of doing ministry and not really putting my heart into it. Everyday when I wake up I have to sit with the Lord and allow him to put my heart in a place of serving him so I am not doing it for myself but for God. God may ask me to do something that day and I tell him no, but as his servant, he knows what is best for me and I should listen to his instructions. He won't ask me to do anything impossible, even though it may seem impossible to me. I am reminded of the promise that is stated time and time again in the Bible that God will never leave us or forsake us. This promise is great in its self but then think about how many times we abandon God. We leave him, we forsake him yet he never leaves us. We chose to serve self instead of serve him and yet he asks us again to serve him. The beauty of the cross is the forgiveness that we all receive so that even when we walk away from God he accepts us back. That is a good enough reason to serve our King. Most kings don't take back a servant that walked out on him. Our perfect King does! Again I ask myself the question am I willing to everyday die to self and tell God his will not mine? Are you willing? Am I willing?
RSS Feed