There’s something all of us have in common. We’re all waiting, wanting, and maybe even hoping, for something in our lives or world to change. It might be as small as waiting for the next package to arrive, or as big as waiting for the next test result to come back, but I’ll bet you won’t go through a single day without expecting some sort of change! Change is the one constant we all wrestle with, from the moment we take our first breath, and even before.
That’s the strange thing about change. It starts before you see it coming. Even the biggest changes start small. We see it in the miracle of conception, and in the development of cancer. Microscopic cells begin to multiply, or mutate, and the end result is often life-changing.
If even the biggest changes start small, then there must be a way to embrace a small change today that can impact the world tomorrow! That’s where God reveals a mystery through a young girl named Mary that literally changed the course of human history, and is still changing it today.
In the well known “Christmas Story,” there’s a small, but hugely significant statement that holds the secret to how God-sized changes come about. You’ve probably heard how a young lady named Mary, who lived in a little-known place called Nazareth, received a special visit from one of God’s messengers named Gabriel. Like everyone else, Mary had heard that God had big changes in store for her people. Little did Mary know that those changes were about to come about, and even more surprising was the news that they would come through her!
Imagine the shock and awe of that moment when she heard these words:
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God, and you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call his name Jesus.”
Now, granted, there are people dressed in white who tell newly expectant mothers their “good news” every day. But this was different. Much different!
Mary was a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, but the father of this child was going to be God! Talk about complicated! I don’t think that even the producers of daytime TV dramas could have come up with this scenario.
The angel goes on to declare that this small child would grow to become a great king, and fulfill all the promises God had made to her people long ago. After hearing this news she asks “How, can this be?” In short, his answer was: God’s Spirit and power will do it!
That’s when we come to Mary’s response and nine words that changed the world.
“Let it be to me according to your word.”
Mary, mother of Jesus. Luke 1:38b
Do you see it? The secret to God-sized change is found in Mary’s response. Mary embraced God’s promise. Long before she held Jesus in her arms, she welcomed Him into her heart. Before she ever beheld the face of God, she invited God to “behold” her as His vessel, willing and available to receive and carry His Word.
You see, Christmas didn’t begin in a stable in Bethlehem. It began in a house in Nazareth. What took months to be birthed, and has taken thousands of years to be fulfilled, began with a promise she willingly possessed. She accepted God’s word and conceived the inconceivable. And so it is with you and I.
The changes you want to see outwardly begin within. Look around and you’ll see that most changes start as thoughts and ideas before they ever materialize. Philosophies and paradigms shape politics and culture. Theories and postulations steer science. Imagination and ingenuity spark businesses and entrepreneurs.
While I agree with the sentiment in the words “you must be the change you wish to see in this world,” the truth is we will never be a change we haven’t first allowed to become in us. Rather than trying to make changes on our own, God invites us to be like Mary. He speaks His word into our lives, and all we have to do is believe! Like the miracle of conception, we may not see the immediate results, but they will be born in due time.
If you’re waiting for something to change, keep listening for God’s word, prepare your heart for a miracle, and get ready to say:
“Let it be to me…”
Such as I have, I give.
(Scripture Reference: Luke 1:26-38)
#Christmas, #Change, #Suchasihave