We all have people that we
admire. To some it is the powerful
athlete who plays with strength and finesse.
To others it may be the musician that makes a particular instrument come
alive with majestic music. To others it
may be a political figure, a physician, an attorney, a theologian or maybe even
a preacher or two. They are our
heroes. We admire what they do, and may
secretly desire to do the same.
At the risk of sounding pious, I
must admit the people I admire most, are not very well known. If I mentioned their name many of you would
not recognize it. They don't have any
shoes; balls or golf clubs embellished with their name. In the worlds eyes they are
"nobodies!" You see I admire
people who have a servant’s heart. A
heart that is willing to please God regardless of the cost. I call these people quiet servants.
Though these quiet servants are
rarely in the spotlight, mainly because they insist on staying out of it, it is
people like them that God has used in the most radical ways. God called one woman who comes to mind in her
teenage years. The task that she was
called to was one that required great risk.
A risk that could have had her thrown out of her family and community. A
risk that could have resulted in an embarrassing label for life. Yet this quiet servant did not argue, protest
or resist, but humbly submitted to the call of the Lord.
Her willingness to be a quiet
servant resulted in her being used in a more dramatic fashion than any other
woman in history! Who was this
woman? Mary, the mother of Jesus, who
when the angel Gabriel told her this news simply said, "Behold the bond slave of the Lord; be it
done to me according to your Word” (Luke 1:38 ).
Oh to have that attitude and
spirit! I don’t know about you, but when
God asks me to do something risky, my first response is a series of
questions! “What am I going to get out
of this?” Thus with one eye focused on the impossibilities and the other eye
focused on ourselves, we rarely serve as God has called us too.
As you celebrate this Christmas
take some time and reflect on the quiet servant, who willingly became the mom
of the greatest Servant who walked the face of the earth! Remember that Christ did not come “to be served, but to serve and to give His
life as a ransom for many!” (Mark 10:45 ) By being a servant Mary had the honor of
playing a part in giving the greatest gift all!
Christ came and purchased the free gift of salvation! Through Christ we are Free! Through Christ we are part of God’s eternal
family! Wow, what an awesome gift! And a
little quite young woman had a part in it!
This year as we shop till we drop
trying to find the perfect gift for friends and loved ones who already have
everything let’s take a minute and reflect on the gift of being a servant. Give
a gift that is of great value and extremely rare today – quite service. In our faithfulness to quietly serve God and
our neighbors, we might have the awesome privilege of being the bearer of the
gift we call the Gospel and some we serve may receive that gift and inherit
eternal life. I don’t know about you,
but I take the free gift of eternal life any day over another tie!
Just imagine what God can do
through faithful service! If God gave
Mary the grace to serve, He will give it to you too. We all know that the average gift we give at
Christmas, lasts only a short while, but the gift of service lasts a lifetime
and the gift of salvation for eternity! Now that’s a great gift. Think about that and have great Christmas!