“For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 ESV
The Christmas holiday season can present some frustrating challenges.
The shopping list is too long, while the money is too short. The checkout lines are too long, while people’s patience runs short. You’re constantly dodging vehicles that cut in front of you as you are turning into the parking spot you claimed. You forgot that special ingredient for the pie everyone has been expecting for dessert, but the grocery store just closed. The list could go on and on.
How do you respond to what seems challenging, or difficult for us to understand as humans? How do you respond to something God announces or promises to you that appears to be either improbable or impossible?
The first chapter of the Gospel of Luke offers a comparison and contrast of two main characters, Zechariah and Mary, in relation to the birth of John the Baptist and his relative, Jesus the Christ. This narrative is often preached during Advent or Christmastime.
Both characters are informed by the angel Gabriel that something incredible is about to happen in their lives. For Zechariah, his wife Elizabeth who has been unable to bear a child is going to give birth to a son, but both are now old. For Mary, she is also going to conceive and give birth to a son, but she is an engaged virgin.
The incredible nature of these divine announcements delivered by the angelic messenger is a great challenge to their faith. For Zechariah, it seems humanly improbable for this to happen. For Mary, it seems humanly impossible to happen.
As such, each inquired by a similar, yet different question. Zechariah asked, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” Mary asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
Gabriel’s reply to each of them suggests there was a difference in their inquiries (Luke 1:19-20; 35-37). Zechariah’s inquiry was grounded in disbelief, asking in essence, “How can something like this be?” Mary’s inquiry was grounded in faith, intimating, “How are you going to do this?” Who represents you in this story, Zechariah or Mary?
I can’t say that I’ve always responded like Mary. I’m sure the record would indicate that I’ve thought like Zechariah at times. Since faith is a journey of growth, one’s faith should become stronger as we walk with God. Faith challenges come so that our faith in God increases.
A homerun is generally not thought of at Christmastime being associated with baseball, a summertime sport. Yet if your faith is being challenged in this Christmas season, I suggest three ways to respond to God gleaned from Luke’s narrative using the acrostic B.A.T. — believe, accept, trust.
Believe God’s word no matter what for God specializes in doing the improbable or impossible (v. 20, 45). Accept God’s will for your life because God has a plan for your life and a time for it to happen (v. 7, 13, 30, 31). Trust God’s way to fulfill His plan because God will perform and accomplish His plan. So, to lessen the stress of life’s challenges, leave the how to work it out up to God (v. 18, 34, 35).
No matter how fast and challenging the pitches of life are coming at you this Christmas season, you can confidently take a swing with the faith slugger B.A.T. and hit a homerun.
Rev. Johnson Beaven III is a speaker, theological educator and ministry mentor. For more information, view linktr.ee/johnsonbeaven. Contact him via email at jb3ministries@gmail.com or on X @jbeaven.
