Where did Mary’s yielded and faithful heart come from? Was it a strength that came from within her that is available to any human being who responds to God, or was she somehow unusually equipped and therefore uniquely gifted with the courage that she needed? If she was extraordinary and unattainable, then her life as an example to us ordinary humans might seem to lose its power of encouragement.
On the one hand, we want to believe, “If Mary could be brave and agree to a most unusual request from God, so can I! I want to do marvelous exploits with Him.”
Yet on the other hand, we wonder doubtfully, “Maybe Mary was steadfast, yielding and faithful because she was special. Unless God made me that way (and I seriously doubt He did), I have no hope of ever cultivating a heart like hers.”
So which is it? Is Mary an example to us all, or is she an unachievable icon of perfection?
I believe that God chose a young, ordinary woman to show us how we too can become extraordinary when we place ourselves securely in His hands and firmly in His will.
Only one human being was God made flesh. The rest of us are regular people. When we yield our hearts to God, and invite Him to be King of our lives, we become inhabited by the Divine Nature, and yet the Bible explicitly states that there is no one righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). Only Jesus lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15). All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Even Mary fell short. She was a human being after all, afflicted by temptations just like us. Nevertheless, she chose wisely, and worshiped the God of her fathers, but she was not without sin; therefore, she is an encouraging example to us of what an ordinary human being can achieve when fully surrendered to God.
God does equip us to walk out our calling. He called and equipped Mary, and He calls and equips us. None the less, at the end of the day, it is our choice if we will follow. We do not have to submit. There is no arm twisting in the Kingdom of God.
God created us as autonomous beings with the right to choose if we will obey or not, if we will choose to cultivate our giftings or not. He will not force Himself on us . . . never. He stands at the door and knocks, but He waits for us to open the door. He waited for Mary to agree to His proposal. He did not make her pregnant without consulting her. And I believe that He would have looked for someone else if she had refused.
He will look for someone else if I refuse.
This thought frightens me — in the best way possible. The parable of the talents comes to mind, and I shudder when I recognize the impulse to hide my gifts, the fear I have of stepping out, shy of what others will think, terrified of failure. I never want to hear, “Take the talents from her for she did not faithfully use them. Give her talents to another.” (Matthew 25:14-30)
I don’t want to disqualify myself by refusing God. What a tragedy for Him to look for someone else to do what He has created me to accomplish. I desire to be yielded and faithful so that when He comes knocking, I fling open the door with a resounding, “Yes, God, I trust in Your plan for me. I will cooperate with You fully.”
With this holy fear of disqualification, I probe inquiringly into the life of Mary, desiring to know how she did it. How did she bravely step into the unknown, holding onto nothing more than a promise from God? I believe we find another key to Mary’s steadfast heart in this morsel of scripture:
“Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)
We discover the secrets of a confident heart as revealed by an ordinary yet remarkable young woman who was yielded, faithful, and treasured. She was treasured by God and she also treasured her God. The example of her life is within our reach. God has given each of us the ability to cultivate these qualities within our own hearts.
However, such courage does not arrive by chance.
It comes by intentional seeking.
It is cultivated by practice.
It grows in us as we desire God more than anything else — and, truth be told, it is not growth that we generate by our zealous spiritual activities, but it is imparted by Him as we seek Him first: “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)
I hold myself in the tension of desiring to be like Mary, but at the same time wondering how it could ever be possible, perhaps weighing if it is even desirable. The reality of what she was called to walk out is intimidating to me, and yet, I know that nothing short of God’s way will ever satisfy my heart.
Throughout these reflections on Mary, we have been asking ourselves if it is possible to pattern our lives after this remarkable, ordinary woman. And here is some great news: our desire to treasure God and surrender to Him actually comes from Him, not from ourselves. When we hold the reins of our spiritual life, we usually start striving with grim determination or frantic fear. Instead of focusing on our own control and power, we will find greater ease when we hand over the reins, and allow God to be in His rightful place instead.
“May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us. May he turn our hearts to him, to walk in obedience to him and keep the commands, decrees and laws he gave our ancestors.” (1 Kings 8:57-58, emphasis added)
Did you catch that? He turns our hearts to Him! He gives us the ability to obey and to keep His commands. We cannot do this for ourselves. Even Mary could not do this for herself. I am filled with hope! The same God who was at work in the mother of Jesus is at work in us. We too can be yielded, faithful, and treasured. It all begins with hope, which turns into desire, and becomes a prayer, “Father, let it be to me according to your word.”
