The YES Adventure is a life of saying YES to God. One of the best biblical examples of someone living the YES adventure is Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The Scriptures tell us a lot about Mary, especially in the book of Luke. Luke refers to “eyewitnesses” and “careful investigation,” and some scholars believe there is a good chance that Mary was a primary source for his gospel narrative. That would make the account of the birth of Jesus that many people read every Christmas Eve an accurate description of the events. If she was a primary source, then much of what we read about Mary in Luke can be considered firsthand information.
In Luke 1:38, Mary gives the answer that begins her YES adventure. She says, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (ESV). Other translations say, “as you said” or “may your word to me be fulfilled.” Your YES adventure and mine begin the same way. We put ourselves completely in God’s hands and say “God, do what You want with me.”
We all know the story of the angel Gabriel coming to tell Mary that she had been chosen, out of the thousands of young Jewish women in Israel at that time, to become the mother of God’s Son. Put yourself in her shoes for a minute. This young Jewish girl, doing her best to follow God, living according to the cultural norms of her day, betrothed by her father’s plan, doing the things that were expected of her.
Suddenly, she experiences an event way outside the norm. An angel visits her. An angel! She recognizes God at work but is most likely shocked at what the angel proposes. A baby? In the betrothal period, she was considered Joseph’s wife, but the marriage would not be consummated until the end of that period. How would she explain a baby? How could she convince anyone that it was God’s baby? How would Joseph react? How would her family react? What would happen to her?
She could be divorced, disowned, disgraced, even stoned to death. Yet, she didn’t let the questions stop her from saying YES. She accepted whatever may happen as the result of her YES without knowing what those consequences would be. She placed herself completely in God’s hands.
You must be willing for God to use you. Think about young Mary when the angel Gabriel appeared to her. She was frightened, but he told her that the Lord was with her, and she had found favor with God (Luke 1:28–31). God’s presence was the remedy for her fear. It’s the remedy for your fear and mine as well. When you and I believe that God is with us, that He is guiding us, that He is in control, our fear diminishes. We become aware of His guidance and encouragement and can face the questions ahead. When I am willing for God to use me, I overcome fear by believing in the promise of His presence.
When I am willing for God to use me, I choose to trust Him with my questions. Mary asked some questions about how it was all going to happen. She accepted the angel’s announcement that she would bear the Messiah, but she was trying to figure out how it was all going to work. It didn’t make natural sense.
She knew who she was. She knew her current limitations. She didn’t stop believing what Gabriel said, she just asked how. She accepted his answer, “The Holy Spirit will . . . overshadow you” (Luke 1:35).
Well, that explains everything, right? If I were Mary, I would be thinking, That doesn’t explain anything. Yet Mary accepted it. Even though the details didn’t become any clearer, she chose to trust that God would do what He said He would do regardless of her questions about how He was going to do it. You and I can do the same.
When I am willing for God to use me, I allow God to change my plans. Let’s keep thinking about Mary. She was an ordinary Jewish girl following an ordinary Jewish betrothal plan. The introduction of an unplanned, miraculous pregnancy totally upset her normal life. Her plans to set up a home with Joseph, the way all her friends and family before her had done with their betrothed, suddenly went out the window. There was no pattern to follow. No way to know what would happen next. No way to imagine the future. She simply had to trust that God knew what He was doing and would make it all happen as He chose.
You have been there, and so have I: those moments when God throws a monkey wrench into your plans. Mary shows us what to do: Say YES, take the next right step, and let Him work it out as you go forward.
“I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38).
When ordinary people accept whatever God says, they take the opportunity to participate in His purposes. Mary has been a life example for me of what happens when we say YES to God. Her response to an announcement that scared her and presented lots of opportunities to make wrong choices was to believe God’s promise that He would be with her and that He truly wanted to use her. She chose to trust Him with her questions, to allow Him to change her plans, and work out His plans. When I approach decision-making from that perspective, I can choose with confidence and trust God for the results.
What about you? Are you willing to be used by God? You, my friend, have the opportunity to participate in God’s purposes. The right choice is always YES first. You can trust Him to help you with all the other choices after that. Let Him fill your tray with a feast of satisfaction, the fullness of His presence. Bon Appetit!
God is so much more concerned about my willingness to do what He asks of me than whether I make the right choice. The adventure is in the choosing. When my heart is pointed toward Him, I choose and trust Him to lead me to the next leg of my journey because The YES Adventure is a journey, not a destination. Why not start your adventure right now?
Excerpt from The YES Adventure: Transform Your Life with One Word by Cathleen Zahradnik. Check it out here. If you’ve read the book, please leave a review on Amazon to help other people find it!