More than likely you have a nativity set displayed in your home for Christmas. It’s a sweet reminder of the true meaning for the season. When I was a child I loved to pick up and hold the tiny porcelain baby Jesus in the palm of my hand. I loved playing with baby dolls and I loved that we were celebrating the birth of a baby. I didn’t pay much attention to the Mary and Joseph figurines though. Unfortunately, I think their importance often gets overlooked. I’ve read the story about Jesus coming from heaven to earth countless times but recently something about Mary came to my attention that I never noticed before.  

The Bible says Mary “was greatly troubled” (Luke 1:29). I used to think that Mary was afraid at the sight of the angel. After all, if I were alone at my home in the middle of the day and suddenly an angel appeared to me, I’d probably be greatly troubled, too! But that’s not why Mary was troubled. Luke says, “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.” (Luke 1:29). Mary was not so much troubled by the sight of the angel as she was by what the angel said. The angel also addressed Mary, saying:“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28). Upon hearing these words, I can imagine Mary was probably trying to quickly process why an angel was in her presence, telling her that the Lord was with her. A million thoughts likely raced through her head…“What is happening? Why is he here? What does the Lord want from ME?!” No wonder she was greatly troubled!

Mary’s questions were quickly answered. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30-35)

Mary’s response was beautiful. She said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).  To feel troubled when we sense God is calling us to do something difficult is understandable. God might be inviting you to step out of your comfort zone or to make a sacrifice for Him.  It’s natural to feel a little fear as you step into the unknown and trust God.  But the question we face is what will we do with those fears? Mary did not allow her fears to control her. She remained truly open to God’s will, even though the angel’s message was troubling.  Even though God asked her to do something difficult, she trusted Him and was faithful to what He was calling her to do.

Don’t let your fears get the best of you. The Lord maybe presenting something to you and opening a door for you to follow Him through. Don’t let your troubled feelings get in the way of the blessings He has for you on the other side of the door.

-April Sather, 88.3 WAFJ Morning Show