Guest Columnist, Sheryl Boldt
If God clearly revealed to you His new direction for your life, how would you respond?
Would you answer Him by saying, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word (Luke 1:38 ESV) – even if it involved great faith and sacrifice?
Furthermore, if the circumstances surrounding God’s will for you were literally unbelievable, would you then present your case as to why you weren’t able to comply?
Just as it did for Mary in the Christmas story, God’s direction for us may involve risks of rejection by the ones closest to us, being misjudged by our neighbors or having to start a different life in an unfamiliar area.
However, choosing a different direction than the one God has chosen for us could be bad – perhaps disastrous – for us (and maybe for others who would be affected by our decision). Not to mention the marvelous adventures we could miss.
When Mary was faced with the news that she was chosen to give birth to the Messiah, rather than offering justified reasons why this wouldn’t fit into her plans, she believed the angel Gabriel when he said that nothing is impossible for God (see verse 37).
I envy the kind of faith Mary displayed. I envy her confidence in God’s ability (and integrity) to do all He promised, even when the circumstances seemed implausible. I envy Mary’s yielded spirit, which recognized her Lord’s right to direct her life in the direction He had chosen for her.
Most of all, I envy Mary’s absolute trust in her Father’s love for her – which is why she was able to say yes to God when He revealed His unbelievably extraordinary will for her.
What if we were to actually believe that God could do whatever is necessary to pave the way for His will to be done in our lives throughout the new year? Even if it seemed impossible.
It could be the greatest and most fulfilling act we could do.
Sheryl H. Boldt is the author of the blog, TodayCanBeDifferent.net. You can email Sheryl at sherylhboldt@gmail.com.