Purpose Begins with Yes

“I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants.” Luke 1:38 (TLB)

My destiny is largely determined by the questions I ask. The braver and more honest my questions, the further in life I'm going to go.

Just before the very first Christmas, Mary—who would become the mother of Jesus—had to ask herself a very brave, important question: Will I accept God’s destiny for me?

There are a lot of misconceptions about Mary. But what made Mary very special is that she was willing to accept her destiny. She was willing to trust God in the things he was calling her to do.

The Bible tells us Mary’s story: “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be” (Luke 1:26-29 NIV).

Mary was young—probably no older than 15. And an angel showed up and basically told her, “God’s about to send a Savior into the world, to be born just like everyone else. And you’re going to be that baby’s mom, even though you’re still a virgin.”

And Mary’s response? “Mary was greatly troubled . . .” Mary was terrified. She didn’t know what to do, what to say, or who to tell. She probably thought, “No one’s going to believe me. Not my mom, my friends, or even Joseph.” She was afraid.

The story continues: “The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:30-33 NIV).

This would be no ordinary birth because this was no ordinary baby. This child was going to be the Son of God—the Messiah, the Savior.

And how did Mary eventually respond? The Living Bible paraphrase records her response: “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true!” (Luke 1:38).

Why did God choose Mary over all the other women on the planet to be the Messiah’s mother?

It wasn’t because of her education. She had none. It wasn’t because of her wealth. She was a poor peasant girl. It wasn’t because of her maturity. She was barely a teenager. Why did God choose Mary?

Because she trusted God completely and she was willing to accept God’s destiny for her, even though it meant hardship, misunderstanding, and criticism.

What about me? Am I willing to say yes to God’s destiny for myself—even if I'm afraid or doubting or know the road will be tough? I can trust that God’s destiny for my life is best for my life, far better than anything I can think up for myself.

In summary:

Mary’s story in Luke 1:38 shows the power of trusting God’s plan, even when it’s unclear or frightening. Though young and unprepared for the extraordinary call placed on her life, Mary chose faith over fear, saying, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants.” Her willingness to accept God’s destiny—despite uncertainty, potential judgment, and hardship—reveals that what qualifies us for God’s purposes is not status, education, or experience, but wholehearted trust and obedience. Like Mary, I must ask myself: am I willing to say yes to God’s direction for my life, believing that His destiny is far greater than any I could design for myself?

Bottom line:

Trust God’s direction—even when it feels uncertain or uncomfortable—because saying “yes” to His plan positions me to fulfill the greater purpose He designed specifically for my life.

Next step:

Pause and reaffirm my willingness to say “yes” to God’s direction in this season of my life—then take one concrete action that reflects that trust. In short: Say yes, write it down, and move forward in faith.