Humility Week: What Mary Said

“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me – holy is his name.’ ” (Luke 1:46-49)

Mary was probably a teenager when an angel showed up and told her she was going to be pregnant with and give birth to the Son of God – even though she’d never had sex. I’d guess someone in that position could see it all as either evidence of her own greatness or as the worst news ever.

humility_350Instead, Mary shows us what humility looks like. How? First, she believed the message of the angel. Believing things you can’t understand takes humility. Next, she accepted the assignment; allowing God to change your plans and send you into a potentially humiliating situation takes a lot of humility.

Finally, she praised God for noticing her humility and lifting her up to a blessed position for his own glory. As we’ve seen this whole week, that’s what God promises to do for humble people.

Mary was just a girl, not without weakness or sin. And that’s the point. Like us (kind of), she received a gift of grace, the call to carry inside of her the Savior, the hope of glory. The only reasonable response for her – and for us – was to humbly say “yes,” then “thank you,” and then “for your glory.”

Think: What can you learn from Mary’s example? Do you think you would have said to God yes, thank you, and “for your glory”? Have you done that with the assignment(s) he’s given to you today?

Pray: Ask God to help you to respond to his direction in your life with humility, gratitude, and a desire to see him get the glory.

Do: Read Mary’s whole song in Luke 1:46-55.