A Willing, Yielded Heart

One of the surprising things, to me, about the Christmas story, is the way Joseph & Mary’s hearts yield themselves to God.

Mary submits…

• despite her age
• despite her singleness
• despite the challenges it would mean for her
• despite the judgment of her community

Joseph submits…

• despite the way things would look
• despite the “cost”
• despite the challenges it would mean for him
• despite the judgment of his community

Perhaps we think, “yeah, but they had ANGELS come to them!” But the priest, Zechariah, had a vision and clear word from the Lord. And he questioned and did not accept it at first. The Apostle Peter had a VISION from Heaven, and yet he argued back with God and had a hard time accepting it.

Angels and visions from Heaven are not automatic human-heart-changers.

“I AM A SERVANT OF THE LORD; LET IT BE TO ME ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD”

Confession?

As a wife and mom, I like for things to go according to plan. Whose plan? MINE. I like for the house to run according to my will… as Paul David Tripp points out about anger, my anger is often fueled because my will is not being done “on earth.”

But this response of Mary’s– “I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Your Word,” and Joseph’s faithful obedience to flee everything he’d ever known in order to protect a child that wasn’t his own, all because it was the will of God?

Mary and Joseph were human people who were yielded to the will of the Lord.

I want that sort of WILLING, yielded heart, this Christmas, and always.

• A heart willing to say “yes” to God’s plans, despite the cost
• A heart that embraces the fact that I am not the one in control
• A heart willing to do whatever He says, no matter how things will look to outsiders
• A heart yielded to His plans above my own reason, or human logic
• A heart that is yielded to God’s shaking up of my life & plans.

God, give me a willing, yielded heart.

Merry Christmas, y’all!