“no way!” or “wow! how?”...

we are looking here on the porch at the fact that many people today are overwhelmed in their lives.  they are but there were people in the bible who were also overwhelmed .  one of them was mary the mother of JESUS when at the age of thirteen or fourteen she was told by an angel that she was going to be the mother of JESUS.  in luke 1.29 (nlt) it says she was confused and disturbed.  in other words, she was overwhelmed.   now this story of mary does give us some insight into how to handle being overwhelmed.  the first thing i do is what mary did and it’s this, let go of my need to control the situation.

the fact is most of life is out of your control and most of life you can’t figure out.  the bible calls life  “a mystery.”  GOD not only glories in revealing things but the bible says GOD glories in concealing things.  GOD intentionally doesn’t tell us certain things about life.  why?  to force us to rely on HIM, to depend on HIM.  so there’s some things you’re just not ever going to figure out.  you have to let go of your need to control it. 

in luke 1.34 and 37 (nlt) mary asked the angel after she heard this big news, but how?  “but how can i have a baby?  i am a virgin.”  the angel replied, “nothing’s impossible with GOD.” 

this is a typical reaction when we feel overwhelmed.  but how?  we say “but how?”  how in the world am i going to get it all done on time?  how in the world am i going to make that payment?  how in the world am i going to solve that problem?  how in the world am i going to get that person to love me again?”  we ask the “but how?” question.

mary did not doubt what GOD had said to the angel.  she was just puzzled.  she didn’t say when the angel said, “you’re going to be the mother of the SON of GOD.”  she didn’t go, “no way!”  she said, “wow!  how?”  there’s a difference between “no way!” and “wow!  how?”  mary’s going, “how could a virgin have a baby?”  good question.  people are still asking that one 2000 years later.  we’re still going, “how did that happen?” 

the angels’ response is not to give a detailed explanation of how this is going to happen.  he just says, “is anything too hard for GOD?”  no.  GOD can do anything.  HE can do everything.  so don’t sweat it.  just let go of your need to control the situation. 

here’s the principle: whatever is bugging you in your life right now and it’s bugging you because you can’t control it, you need to understand that although it’s out of your control it’s not out of GOD’s control.  when mary understood this she stopped worrying and she started trusting.  she relaxed.

just a thought from the front porch…