Mary is a wonderful example of discipleship to lean on in a time of waiting, especially her words, “Let it be done unto me according to your Word.” She humbly received the Lord’s action in her life with obedience, openness, and acceptance and it led to the salvation of the world. What can we learn from her simple statement?
Let it be done unto me. Those are profound words to hold in our hearts while waiting. These are not words that suggest forcing, controlling or manipulating the outcome. They are also not words of acting, but rather receiving. God will give the gift to you when it’s time. You don’t have to make it happen with your own effort and strength. You just have to be open and accept the gift when it comes.
According to your Word. These are words that suggest that what is being done by God will line up with God’s Word and ways, and not our or the world’s words and ways. There is alignment with the mind and heart of God, and obedience to how He works. It also means that we need to be in tune with the Word of God to know how to follow it in our waiting seasons.
My waiting journeys turned around for the positive at the times when I made the waiting journey one of digging into the Word of God, meditating on it, focusing on being a disciple first, and allowing God to act in a spirit of receptivity. In my times of grasping and obsessively seeking after the things I desired, God didn’t act and I couldn’t hear.
Time and time again I see things go sour when women don’t take these words to heart and when they try to take control of it being done rather than receiving, and follow the words of others or even themselves rather than God’s. What does this look like?
Forcing a relationship that isn’t meant to be and has red flags.
Dating constantly…one relationship right after another without really discerning.
Pursuing unethical forms of fertility treatment.
Not being open to other paths of family building and fixating on natural children.
Becoming imbalanced towards a career goal.
Letting their mood and emotions be driven by having or not having their desires.
Spending most of their waking hours and prayer time obsessing over the object of their desire (a baby, a relationship, their career path) vs. discipleship.
Mary was first a disciple and then the Mother of God. She was first immersed in the words and ways of God, and then received the gift of Jesus. She was down a path to marry Joseph, and then turned a different way when God spoke into her life through an angel. She was open to life working out differently than she had planned.
Let that be a lesson in how God works in our seasons of waiting.