Saturday, December 15, 2012
Luke 1:26-31
We’re all familiar with the story of how the angel Gabriel
was sent by God to tell Mary the good news. She had found favor with God and
would give birth to a son who’s name would be Jesus. And I think we’re all
familiar with being surprised by news ourselves, whether it be a scary health
diagnosis, a promotion at work, a wrench thrown in our plans or even a new
relationship. But what we’re likely less familiar with is the sense of control
we can feel in such a situation.
Gabriel told Mary not to be afraid. He wanted to make sure
she knew right away that she was loved, that the Lord was with her. Often times
people talk about giving over control to God in tough situations, relying on
His will, whatever it is. But I think this passage is a reminder that really,
we’re the ones with control in these situations. We’re the ones who heed God’s
call, we’re the ones who make the conscious choice to say a prayer, to ask God
for help, to be comforted by His words and His love. Mary didn’t have to
believe that the Lord was with her in that moment but she did; she made the
choice to believe.
Every day we’re faced with millions of choices. What to eat
for breakfast, what to watch on television, whether or not to take a drink or
say a hurtful word. And this Advent season, we get to make another choice. We
get to decide whether or not we’ll be comforted by the baby that’s about to be
born, by the baby who will be called Jesus. We get to decide how we celebrate
His impending arrival. We get to make the choice to believe. And that’s really
all there is to it: belief that God loves us, belief that He sent his Son to
die for us, belief that Good will always win out over Bad. So it’s up to you,
what do you choose?
Dear Lord,
Thank you for free will and the opportunity to choose You.
Amen.
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