Stress Test Devotional May 11
May 11, 2024
LUKE 1:34 | 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
Mary questioned the angel “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The word for virgin is Parthenos, meaning young girl. The word conveys her gender, virginity, and age all at once. Now part of her incredulity was related to biology—unmarried virgins don’t have babies. But part of her surprise must have been connected to her femininity and circumstances. Since she was unmarried and female, her access to opportunities, resources, and choices were severely limited. Entrusting the Messiah to her must have seemed almost absurd. How would she support the baby? Would he be stigmatized as illegitimate? How could he possibly be a scion of the royal lineage with her family background?
There are obstacles to being open and willing. One is our age. Mary was a young girl when Gabriel announced God’s plan for her to bear a son, who would be the Messiah, occupying the throne of David and reigning forever. Think for a moment of the kinds of concerns that occupy the minds of teenagers you know. How will my semester grades come out? Will that boy in algebra ever notice me? Can I get that new iPhone for Christmas? Will I ever be tall and gorgeous?
Now imagine asking yourself “Can I mother the Messiah?” The biggest obstacle to openness is often our preconceived notion of how our age limits us and reduces possibilities. We think we are too young or too old for the job God assigns us.
Sometimes it is not doubts about God per se, which inhibit us; it is rather doubts about ourselves.
Has your age or gender ever held you back?
What are your greatest self-doubts? Where do they come from?
