Have you ever wondered why God chose Mary out of all women in the world? The answer may not be so obvious. But as I study the word of God I realized that Mary had what God was looking for. Mary was different from all women. The angel greeted her as someone who has found favor with God. But more than this, the secret was in her name.
In the land of Israel as in some cultures around the world, names reveal destiny. Not many people understand this in the Western world. The name of a person has many things to say about them—personality, behavior and characteristics. That is why parents who have this understanding don’t name their children anyhow.
…names reveal destiny. Not many people understand this in the Western world. The name of a person has many things to say about them.
Not everyone can be defiant enough to believe God as Mary did. The meaning of the name Mary is their rebellion or one who is a rebel. One of the definitions of a rebel is a person who challenges the status quo by doing things in a nontraditional way. Those who are countercultural. Those who are atypical. Those who are not normal in the world sense. Those who live on the edge. Those who don’t fit in. Those who don’t who think that if you can’t join them blend in or compromise; rather, stand alone. Those who are antisocial in a good way and are comfortable with it. Those who don’t know when to quit. Those who are not aware that the odds are stacked against them because they are not looking at the odds but who is for them. Those who are ready to jump even when there are no parachutes just because God asked them to.
God saw in Mary someone with the attitude of “I don’t care about people’s opinion or what they have to say or what they are thinking about me because that is none of my business.” When we start thinking about what people will say or how we want them to accept us we can miss out on what God is saying. We can be so people or devil-conscious that we forget to be God-conscious. People’s opinions can be so loud that they silence God’s truth inside us.
God is looking for people who are contrite about His word. Those who want to believe everything He told them. Those who will not allow people’s attitudes to stop them. Those who will use God’s word to inform their actions and do life with it.
God’s purpose will stand but do you have the guts to withstand the pressure of other people’s opinion? Do you have the courage to stand alone? Do you have what it takes to say let it be unto me according to God’s word? Do you have the courage to be different? Do you have what it takes to go against the grain? Do you have what it takes to do things in a nontraditional way? Do you have the effrontery to not conform to societal norms? Jesus had to sternly rebuke the religious leaders of His day because they made God’s word ineffective because of their traditions.
God saw in Mary someone with the attitude of “I don’t care about people’s opinion or what they have to say or what they are thinking about me because that is none of my business.”
For Mary, it didn’t matter what anyone would say, when she located God’s world she went all in. The challenge with some of us is that we don’t know that God knows what He is looking for. So, when He makes demands on what He has put into us, we don’t cooperate with Him to supply them so that He can get His glory. We make things about us and not about Him. We try to talk Him out of His purpose. We try to convince Him that He has the wrong person. We make up excuses. We make up stories that reveal our ignorance. How many people do you know who have tried to talk God out of using them? Maybe you are one of them, God is calling you to repent today, I mean right now.
I want to remind you today that you have what God is looking for. You are the exact person He had in mind when He designed your destiny and the assignment He wants you to accomplish. Prove Him right by yielding to Him. Stop making excuses. God never makes mistakes. If you are not available He will use someone else. Remember it is not necessarily your ability but your availability. Your availability then makes room for your suitability. You are enough because of the path of your destiny that God has ordained for you, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. He has called you according to His purpose. So, you are well able. If you don’t accept God’s strength, your future will be under threat and in jeopardy.
God’s purpose will stand but do you have the guts to withstand the pressure of other people’s opinion?
Maybe you too are a rebel but you are yet to tap into your potential. Mary did it. You too can fulfill destiny and cooperate with Him by doing the good works He has created you for. God chose you for your destiny. He designed you for your destiny. He called you for your destiny. He anointed you for it. He is expecting you to run with it. But you need to respond to His call today. You are His work of art, a masterpiece recreated in Christ Jesus. Masterpieces don’t conform to their environment. They are originals. And they work to preserve their originality. They stand out.
