Friday, December 26, 2008

Blessed.....to be a Blessing

Often when we hear the Christmas story, we look in chapter 2 in the book of Luke and hear about the birth of Jesus. However, the story actually starts back in chapter 1 when some extraordinary events happen.

Let's say you're sitting alone some evening. You are scheduled to be married soon to a local carpenter. You've kept the purity ring and are looking forward to your wedding night. All of a sudden, from nowhere, an angel appears! Aside from being freaked out would you be able to stay and listen to what the angel came to say? Mary, the mother of Jesus had an experience with an angel:

Luke 1 (NLT) 28
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

Mary is told she has found favor with God. She has been hand picked to carry out an amazing mission. She will become the mother of Jesus, he'll have a kingdom...she'll be the mother of a King! She must have felt very overwhelmed. She was young and now she would be pregnant. What would her soon-to-be husband say? What would other people say?

She did not seem to hesitate as she gives her response, I am the Lord's servant. She sings a song of praise.

The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise

46 Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
49 For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
50 He shows mercy from generation to generation.....


She mentions being blessed. Because she is willing to accept being blessed, she becomes a blessing for generations to come. She is not the only one God has called.

In the Old Testament, when God called Abram to leave his family, God promises to make him a great nation. He did! By being willing to be blessed, he became a blessing.

Genesis 12:2 I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to receive being blessed by someone. Consider this a little reminder that if we let someone bless us, we can become a blessing to someone else. That seemingly little act will ripple outward in a wave of blessings.

Have a blessed life and watch for those little opportunities to either be blessed OR be a blessing to someone else.

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