Changing Perspective: Luke 1:26-38, 46-47

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”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. 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. For no word from God will ever fail.”“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

Luke 1:26-38, 46-47 

Here's one of the lessons I learned this weekend:

In the middle of the chaos of the Christmas season, sometimes God will step into our lives with a 'divine interruption' to get our attention. He does this, not to hurt or punish us, but to change our perspective in such a way that our lives are changed and His will is done. Our response to this intervention is key. It may completely upend any and all plans we may have made and even make our lives more difficult. 

In these passages, Mary is told that she has found favor with God and will bear the Son of God. This is something amazing to have happen to her, but will cause her a lot of issues. 

It is important to remember that just because we may have God's favor on our lives, it doesn't mean that life is going to be easy for us. It will, however, give us greater perspective on life. The message here is that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD.

Mary, knowing that she will likely lose everything, has a choice in how she can react to this - with obedience, trusting God to take care of her or by wallowing in sadness & frustration. Mary chose to praise God for this enormous divine interruption, knowing that, in the big scope of things, God's will was so much greater then her own. 

Here is the big challenge: when God gives you a divine interruption, don't get upset, but instead praise God, because things are going to work out God's way.