I can’t believe we are already embarking on our third week in the Christmas season. Once again my head is spinning with the speed at which the days past; and I find myself amazed at how little focused time I spend just enjoying all that this time of year represents. I’m grateful for the gift of fellowship that keeps me moving along by reminding me of what’s ultimately important.
This past Sunday, we (Fellowship Bible Church) continued our stroll through the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel; specifically the birth announcement of Jesus to Mary by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-56). It’s pretty amazing the contrast between Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message and the previous response of Zachariah to his special message. That’s a topic worthy of discussion, but that’s not what captured my thoughts since Sunday morning. There was one simple phrase I’ve heard many times in “Christendom” that is much deeper and significant in meaning than I’ve ever noticed before.
“For nothing is impossible with God." - Gabriel (Luke 1:37)
Over the years I have personally heard this spoken with great impact in people’s lives…for the positive and negative. I realized yesterday that this is a simple truth with profound implications…and for the most part, I don’t get it. When I move past the greeting card/bumper sticker experience of this verse I’m left with the magnitude of it’s message. And as I overlay this truth onto the reality of my life I’m left with more paradox than clarity. Then I received a beautiful sense of clarity from Avery…my six year old daughter.
We were having a discussion about God’s steady hand guiding and protecting us as we walk though life (i.e. she asked some questions I didn’t have answers for). While I was fumbling with how to explain to her some divine, cosmic principle she made a simple but profound observation. She said, “Daddy, God can do anything, but he can’t do everything.” I was dumbstruck at the simple but wonderful insight she had. In that moment God gently, but unshakably spoke to me that in my pursuit to walk in the way of Jesus I was unknowingly abusing my understanding of his omniscience. How…God can’t change me and allow me to stay the same! He can do anything, but he can’t do everything.
I now understand that Gabriel’s proclamation to Mary isn’t a statement of faith as much as it a calling to faith, which always brings us to a crisis of belief…a choice. This realization has left me open and vulnerable before God in ways I personally haven’t experienced. You see I stand before Him and exclaim “Lord…do the impossible in me!”, but then get upset when He calls me to change. In other words I want him to change me and leave me the same, but that is an illusion that must give way to truth. What is that “truth”, that eternal life is meant to be lived, not waited for. That my life’s purpose as a follower of Christ is intrinsically tied to my expression and demonstration of His love in my little world. It’s not enough to “want to change”, I have to surrender to Jesus’ call to be an instrument of change in His hands.
As I try to be more deliberate in my focus on Christ, I am exposed to the extreme nature of His call to “follow me”. My “creed” MUST translate into “deeds”. For the follower of Christ, life is not merely mental ascent to a higher standard, it’s a life spent on loving those Jesus loved, serving those Jesus served; teaching what Jesus taught…living the way Jesus lived.
I’ve learned this from Mary this week. Her world was turned upside down, and she was never the same. I think she understood that to be part of God’s story means you must surrender your own. Maybe a place to start this radical adventure can be found in the words of Mary…
This past Sunday, we (Fellowship Bible Church) continued our stroll through the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel; specifically the birth announcement of Jesus to Mary by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-56). It’s pretty amazing the contrast between Mary’s response to Gabriel’s message and the previous response of Zachariah to his special message. That’s a topic worthy of discussion, but that’s not what captured my thoughts since Sunday morning. There was one simple phrase I’ve heard many times in “Christendom” that is much deeper and significant in meaning than I’ve ever noticed before.
“For nothing is impossible with God." - Gabriel (Luke 1:37)
Over the years I have personally heard this spoken with great impact in people’s lives…for the positive and negative. I realized yesterday that this is a simple truth with profound implications…and for the most part, I don’t get it. When I move past the greeting card/bumper sticker experience of this verse I’m left with the magnitude of it’s message. And as I overlay this truth onto the reality of my life I’m left with more paradox than clarity. Then I received a beautiful sense of clarity from Avery…my six year old daughter.
We were having a discussion about God’s steady hand guiding and protecting us as we walk though life (i.e. she asked some questions I didn’t have answers for). While I was fumbling with how to explain to her some divine, cosmic principle she made a simple but profound observation. She said, “Daddy, God can do anything, but he can’t do everything.” I was dumbstruck at the simple but wonderful insight she had. In that moment God gently, but unshakably spoke to me that in my pursuit to walk in the way of Jesus I was unknowingly abusing my understanding of his omniscience. How…God can’t change me and allow me to stay the same! He can do anything, but he can’t do everything.
I now understand that Gabriel’s proclamation to Mary isn’t a statement of faith as much as it a calling to faith, which always brings us to a crisis of belief…a choice. This realization has left me open and vulnerable before God in ways I personally haven’t experienced. You see I stand before Him and exclaim “Lord…do the impossible in me!”, but then get upset when He calls me to change. In other words I want him to change me and leave me the same, but that is an illusion that must give way to truth. What is that “truth”, that eternal life is meant to be lived, not waited for. That my life’s purpose as a follower of Christ is intrinsically tied to my expression and demonstration of His love in my little world. It’s not enough to “want to change”, I have to surrender to Jesus’ call to be an instrument of change in His hands.
As I try to be more deliberate in my focus on Christ, I am exposed to the extreme nature of His call to “follow me”. My “creed” MUST translate into “deeds”. For the follower of Christ, life is not merely mental ascent to a higher standard, it’s a life spent on loving those Jesus loved, serving those Jesus served; teaching what Jesus taught…living the way Jesus lived.
I’ve learned this from Mary this week. Her world was turned upside down, and she was never the same. I think she understood that to be part of God’s story means you must surrender your own. Maybe a place to start this radical adventure can be found in the words of Mary…
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.”
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