Do I Have To?
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant
of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your
word.” And the angel departed from her.
Luke 1: 38
Parents long
for time when their children
transition from asking, “Do I have to?” to
finish a task before being asked. It’s the
difference between
obligation and
willingness.
It’s one thing to do something because
we're obligated to do it. It’s another thing
to do it willingly without thought of reward
or remuneration.
Imagine if angel Gabriel approached young Mary with
the message of the conception of Jesus, she had said
to Gabriel, “Do I have to?” Mary already passed from
obligation to willingness when it came to serving God.
That’s why she described herself as the “maidservant
of the Lord.”
Roots of “Maidservant” come from Deuteronomy
15:12-18—when a
freed slave chose out of love to
remain a servant in the master’s household. Mary
was ready and willing to serve God.
Let Mary be an example for you,
an example of willing service to
God and others.
"The highest honor in the
church is not government
but
service."