Christmas and the Faith of Mary

Each Christmas, I find myself thinking about Mary, the mother of Jesus. When I was 15, I played the part of Mary in a Christmas play at our church. Since then, I’ve always loved reading her story in the first chapter Luke and thinking about her life.

In recent years, my admiration for Mary has grown as I ponder her response to the angel of the Lord and the greatness of her faith. Mary must have been scared when an angel appeared and told her she would give birth to a son. And not just any son, but “the Son of the Most High.” I often wonder if she thought, “No one is ever going to believe this story!”

As shocked and confused as she must have been in that moment, Mary made a choice to say yes to God. In complete faith, she said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Mary believed and accepted the Lord’s plan. Thank goodness she was so brave and faithful. Mary was a crucial part of God’s plan.

What about you? God has a purpose for your life and designed a journey that only you can fulfill for His Kingdom. I’m not suggesting an angel will show up and reveal that path to you in person. In a way, that would be nice, right? As we draw close to God, he reveals the next steps to us. He nudges us in the right direction if we keep our eyes on Him.

Will we say yes to God like Mary did so many years ago?

In Luke 1:45, Mary’s relative Elizabeth confirms Mary’s great faith. Elizabeth told Mary, “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

This Christmas, I want to have that kind of faith. I want to trust in the Lord and believe He will do what He has said. As we prepare our hearts for this Christmas season, I challenge each of us to look at Mary’s story with fresh eyes and ask God to give us a Mary-like faith.

Joyfully celebrating the birth of our Savior,

Allison