The Peace We Long For: Advent in Disorienting Times | Day 22

Luke 1:46-55: Mary’s Song

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has been mindful

    of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

    holy is his name.

50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,

    from generation to generation.

51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones

    but has lifted up the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things

    but has sent the rich away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel,

    remembering to be merciful

55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,

    just as he promised our ancestors.”

Happy Monday, Everyone! As we start Christmas week and are less than 2 weeks away from the new year, the topic of stagnation comes to mind. American theologian, semiotician, church historian, pastor, and author  Leonard Sweet, has said this of stagnation:

“What is the difference between a living thing and a dead thing? In the medical world, a clinical definition of death is a body that does not change. Change is life. Stagnation is death. If you don't change, you die. It's that simple. It's that scary.”

This is profound in the best way. The less activity we do, the less we are actually living. Every day we go through the motions, we probably keep the same routines and go on autopilot. Each church service/workday has the same schedule, and it brings comfort in knowing that we are able to keep such a reliable way of life… But what are we doing to remain living in God’s spirit?

In the above passage, one part that stood out was verse 52: “He has brought down rulers from their thrones; but has lifted up the humble.”

This part of the verse stood out because it can be used in most leadership capacities. If you want to start moving up in a company or organization, there is usually someone that you are going to replace or take over for. You might see them working and think that it is not attainable. That person might seem to work too hard, or the job description looks daunting. The job looks promising, but you keep telling yourself that you are not the best person for the job. But why? How do you know that you are not? The worst someone can say when you apply to something new is “no", so why is it so scary? There is so much we can do to make ourselves look like a desirable candidate. We need to allow a way to be made for us, a way for us to be lifted up, like in the verse.

That is the same way to think about God and his favor. We keep the same routine when praying or going to church or worshipping. There is no change. We just keep going and going like the Energizer bunny. We are giving God the same energy we give our jobs, our friends, and our family. We coast through Christianity like a self-driving car. There is no challenge or change. In verse 49 of the same passage above, it reads: “for the Mighty One has done great things for me."

God blesses those who are faithful and merciful, but is living a stagnant lifestyle really showing him that we are faithful? Are we doing it because we want to or because we have to? He has done great things for us, so we should do great things for him!

We were created for greatness, and we are blessed by him every day. Our lives will change at some point, whether it is planned or random.

We need to move accordingly. We need to live a life with movement and love, not with comfort. So the real question is, which life do you want to choose: living in favor or death in stagnation?

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." – Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Prayer: Lord, please allow me the flexibility to allow movement in my life. Please bless me with the power to recognize where I am stagnant and the knowledge on how to actually live.