Mary’s Secret to Emotional Resilience
By Marlene Houk
Burke County
Luke 1:38 “Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
I am an accountant, so I work according to the principles of accounting. For example, a critical rule states that debits and credits in a transaction must be equal. While working in an accounting lab, I noticed that when they followed the textbook; students gained the confidence to correctly enter transactions, reconcile statements, and prepare financial statements. But, they would stumble and mislead people by offering false information if they did not work according to established accounting principles.
Similarly, many times as a Christian, I’ve not applied biblical principles in life’s troubles which caused me to become steeped in unbridled emotions and overreactions. I’ve found in Mary’s story, though, a life-changing formula that returns me to emotional resilience. When the angel Gabriel announced the upcoming birth of Jesus through Mary in Luke 1:38, she responded by using this biblical principle, saying, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word.”
Old and New Testament saints alike abide by God’s “according to” rules. They urge me, by example, to bow to the often mysterious will of God for me and agree with Him that I want my life to be, according to His Word.
How do we change our lives to be according to God’s Word? Often, the Bible teaches us to simply follow the pattern of other godly people. Using this viewpoint, let’s look at people God placed in Mary’s life who lived their lives according to. Who were they?
- Zacharias in Luke 1:9 performed his duties of burning incense in the temple, “according to the custom of the priest’s office.”
- Joseph, Mary’s husband helped her accomplish her days of purification according to the law of Moses and provided the sacrifice of birds according to the law (Luke 2:22, 24).
- Simeon, a devout man, was led by the Spirit into the temple at the same time Mary and Joseph presented the baby Jesus. He said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word;” (Luke 2:29).
Mary could follow the example of those around her who lived according to the word of the Lord.
By following her example, we can consider tracking religious leaders who follow God according to His Word. We can observe godly family members who live according to biblical standards. And we can look for “just and devout” people like Simeon, whom Jesus allows us to cross paths with, who eagerly anticipate aligning themselves according to God’s will for their lives.
Let’s follow Mary’s example by submitting to the Lord and allowing our lives to be according to His plans for us. And then we can relax in the knowledge that God controls the outcome. We’ve followed Mary’s clue—according to—and our own Magnificat (song of praise) rises to return us to emotional resilience.
By embracing the enduring strength of women in the Bible, we too can experience Mary’s emotional resilience. Seeing God’s viewpoint from their divinely told drama empowers us to leave our emotional struggles at the feet of Jesus.
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Marlene is an author and teacher of Bible studies. She may be reached at Biblelady167@gmail.com
To receive helpful insight from the Bible, sign up for her newsletter at http://www.MarleneHouk.com, or connect with her on other social media. You can read more good Christian News from Marlene HERE.
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Blue Ridge Christian News covers Avery County, Burke County, McDowell County, Mitchell County, Yancey County, and Madison County in North Carolina, and Christian news from around the country.
