By accepting the will of God Mary became the mother of Jesus and changed the world.
Photo taken at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Odenton, Maryland
How can we apply the act of acceptance in our own lives to things we can not change in order to make a greater impact on the world. This is the daily struggle I face everyday. In this life we are all called to do tough things. How do we know what things we should change and ask for courage to fight against or what things we should just leave alone? Everyday is a gift and what we do with what we get, is up to us. By praying daily we can better determine if something is a God thang or a Me thing.
There are many things in this life that are beyond our control. We don't always have the ability to change it or to make it better. All we can do is to pray about it and release it. However, there are many things that are within our control and we have the ability to say yes, say No, to speak up, or to walk away. The difficulty arises when we feel overwhelmed and don't know what to do, and we feel powerless when things keep negatively happening. Sometimes we don't know how to stop the downhill spirals that are happening to us or to the people around us. Sometimes we may not even know what we should be asking and praying for when we are going through difficult times. That is why prayer is important. It interrupts negative patterns of behavior and thinking in ourselves and for others as well. Praying can help us recognize negative behaviors or thinking patterns. It can give us better insight, clearer direction, more time, and space to figure out God's will. It can give us the strength to continue to stand fast in the face of adversity.
I find my inspiration and my answers in the scriptures and by praying.
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
Luke 1:26-38 NIV Bible Gateway
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
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I love looking at other bible versions of verse 38 because I get a better understanding of the magnitude of Mary's full acceptance of the will of God. She fully accepted and allowed the power and the will of the Holy Spirit to reign in her life. This acceptance brought about extreme uncertainty in her life. She had to trust God to fulfill His promises and to protect her. Mary had to trust that she was apart of God's family and that she belonged to Him. This is enormous faith. Mary was young so she didn't have a lot of life experience, but yet she fully trusted in God's plan for her life. Her gracious acceptance made all the difference. Faith like that can only comes from God.
What made the difference? Her acceptance. To be able to trust God that means that she most likely had a relationship with God so that when the angel appeared and said, "Do not be afraid," she was able to recognized and acknowledge the presence of God. When we build up our faith muscles daily by praying and meditating on scriptures we are better able to recognize when things are not in order. We are better able to determine how we should respond to circumstances that arises. We are better able to determine whether something is within our control or within God's realm. We are better able to determine if something is best for us and our families and decipher whether it align with God's will for us.
When we pray and read the scriptures God often gives us the next steps for us to follow. God is a giver of life and He empowers us through prayer to recognize His will and He gives us the power and the courage to act on it. In this season of my life, I love praying the Serenity Prayer, it helps me to filter out the chaos and the mess in this life to see what God wants me to focus on in the season and place that God has me. Prayer helps me to align my heart with His heart. Praying helps me to see the big picture and the little steps that are needed to make my dreams come true despite the enormous challenges that surround me. The gift of prayer is how I have always been able to achieve my dreams. Courage doesn't come naturally for me. It is something that I work on everyday.
How can we become more empowered? It begins with the daily practice of setting time aside to commune and develop a stronger relationship with God.
Serenity Prayer (Adapted)
Lord, give me the will and serenity to accept things I can't change, wisdom to know the difference, and courage to change what I can.
Application & Reflection
How can I build a daily practice of setting time aside to learn more about God. What resources would enable me to do this easier.
After prayerful contemplation and study of scriptures how can I apply it in my every day life? How can I shift my negative mindset to a positive mindset? How can I better recognize the difficulties that others are facing around me?
What positive changes can I make in my life that will allow me to use my gifts to make an even greater impact?
What bold prayers or scriptures can I pray that would strengthen me in this season of my life?
How can I build a daily practice of accepting God's will for my life? What do I need to lay down for a season or what do I need to do to change so I can spend more time with God?
Inspirational Resources and Tools:
Set a daily alarm 5-30 min earlier in the mornings to pray and/or read the scriptures.
Downloading an inspirational radio station on your phone.
Download the Youversion bible app or Abide app to your phone and use throughout the day.
Placing a devotional in your backpack, desk, or car and use as needed for inspiration.
Place scriptures or inspirational quotes on sticky notes that remind you of your purpose.
Display artistic pieces that provide inspiration for you throughout the day at work, in the car, and at home.
Use YouTube to find inspirational music and create a playlist that can be used to motivate you and others throughout the day.
Resources
Better Together: Nicole C. Understanding God's Kingdom Changes Your Daily Life-What is the Kingdom of God. https://youtu.be/1KwUTLPs1HQ
Serenity Prayer
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A26-38&version=NIV
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