I'm In

I love this time of year, especially living in a part of the country that actually gets cold during Christmas. I hope you have Christmas traditions with your children. One of our traditions is to read the story of the birth of Jesus from Luke 2 on Christmas Eve. However, there in a passage in Luke 1 that always amazes me. I have discussed this with a few people recently. When Gabriel visits teenage Mary and shares all that will be happening, she does not understand it all but does not hesitate to say, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” In today’s jargon Mary was saying, “I don’t get it all, but I’m in.” She didn’t encourage Gabriel to look for a better candidate; she didn’t make excuses; she simply trusted God and was willing to be used by Him for His great purpose.
There have been times in my life when God has asked a thing of me, and my response was not a Mary response. I have tried to find excuses. I have tried to get someone else to do it. But here’s the thing, when God makes a request, we need to be ready to respond like Mary did, “I don’t understand it all, but I’m in.” That’s the person I want to become. More and more, when God makes a request of me I want to be the kind of believer that does not respond in any other way than to say, I’m in.” How about you?