During the Christmas season last year, I heard someone use the phrase, “Mary kept saying yes.” It captured my thoughts enough that I took out my phone and typed it on a note I had started making with certain Scriptures, thoughts, and words that were speaking to me after my transition last July. There have been several moments over the last 18 months that have caused me to pause and reflect on my “yes”, and yet every time I took out that note to reread those specific things, I would be reminded of Mary. I thought it was an appropriate topic to write on today and share those thoughts with leaders. With the question in mind, “Does He still have your unconditional yes?”
Throughout Scripture, few figures shine as brightly as Mary, the mother of Jesus. Her story is woven with moments of trust, obedience, and surrender. What makes her journey remarkable is her repeated willingness to say “yes” to God, even when the path ahead is uncertain or filled with difficulty. Mary’s example teaches us the power of faith in action and the beauty of a heart aligned with God’s will.
When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he brought news that would change the course of history. “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus” (Luke 1:31). Mary, a young woman in an ordinary town, was asked to carry the extraordinary. Her response?
“I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38). I especially have always liked the KJV wording where it reads, “Be it unto me.”
This first “yes” required immense courage. Mary had no guarantees of how Joseph would react, what her family would think, or how her community might judge her. Yet, her trust in God’s plan outweighed her fears. Her “yes” caused her to leave her safe place and endure shame, judgemental looks, and gossip, yet she said, “Be it unto me.”
Joseph also had his yes to make. He had to leave the security of the carpentry shop. He had to leave the familiar and embrace confusion and lack of trust. I’m sure he was thinking, “I have it made here in my dad’s business. It will be mine when I’m older. I want to play it safe.”
Time and again, Mary was called to say “yes” to God in challenging and uncertain circumstances:
*The Journey to Bethlehem: Heavily pregnant, Mary traveled miles to Bethlehem, embracing discomfort and uncertainty to fulfill God’s plan.
*Fleeing to Egypt: When King Herod sought to kill Jesus, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt. This “yes” meant uprooting their lives to protect their son.
*Watching Jesus’ Ministry: As Jesus began His public ministry, Mary had to release Him to His mission, trusting God’s purpose even when she didn’t fully understand.
*Standing at the Cross: Perhaps her greatest “yes” came at the foot of the cross. Watching her son suffer and die, Mary’s faith never wavered. She trusted that God’s plan, though painful, was ultimately for good.
Mary’s life challenges us to consider our willingness to say “yes” to God. Here are three lessons we can draw from her example:
1. Faith Over Fear: Mary’s “yes” was not rooted in complete understanding but in complete trust. She teaches us to move forward even when the road ahead is unclear.
2. Obedience in the Everyday: Mary’s life reminds us that saying “yes” to God often happens in the small, daily acts of faithfulness as much as in the big, dramatic moments.
3. God’s Strength in Our Weakness: Mary was not extraordinary by human standards. She was a humble, ordinary woman. Her story reminds us that God uses willing hearts, not perfect people, to accomplish His purpose.
What might God be asking of you today? Perhaps it’s a step of faith in your career, a call to serve your community, or a need to forgive someone who’s hurt you. Like Mary, our “yes” to God may lead us into the unknown, but it also opens the door to His blessings and purposes.
Mary’s legacy is not just that she bore the Savior of the world but that she continually trusted God with her whole heart. She kept saying “yes,” and the world was forever changed through her obedience. May her story inspire us to live lives of faithful surrender, always ready to say “yes” to the God who calls us.
