“Be it unto me…” This phrase is found in Luke 1:38.

“And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”This verse and the verses preceding it are typically referenced around Christmas time because they foretell the birth of Jesus. To give a little context, Mary was a young lady (some commentaries say she is in her early teens) and was pledged to be married. In verses 26-37, Mary is greatly favored and is to have a baby named Jesus. Honestly, her response is something that even I, a twenty-something-year-old would not think to say at that moment; she simply says “be it unto me.” In another translation of this verse, Mary says ‘I am the Lord’s servant, may your word be fulfilled.’ This really convicted me. If this was the response of a very young teenager after being given this great news, why am I struggling even with the idea of it? So, I prayed. I asked God in my devotion time to reveal some things in me and search me. And He did just that! The red indicator light shined bright.

Consistency.

Consistency is something I struggle with regularly, and God laid the revelation on thick. Being overwhelmed with the thought I began doing some soul searching. When I tried to figure out why I have struggled with this, God let me know that

1. My consistency has mainly been contingent on a person or occasion.

2. I became a bit entitled and puffed up in my spirit. My assistant pastor, Jeffrey Roberts, has been teaching a series on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 and it has been absolutely tearing me apart. He recently talked about meekness and having a humble spirit; Mary’s attitude was beyond excellent. In verse 28, the angel greets her and says ‘you are highly favored!’ Mary’s consistency in worship and the way that she carried herself was proof enough to God that she would be worthy to carry this great treasure.

Mary’s consistency to God and the things of God was not contingent on her circumstances. As long as she had breath in her body she was praising the Lord. She was walking uprightly with a good attitude. In our human nature, it can be so easy to look outside and see snow, ice, or rain. Sometimes it can be too windy out and we can say I am not leaving the house. In our world today it can be very easy to make this choice as most of us now have the option to watch our church services from home or shop online. We can even get food delivered. But even with all the changes, I encourage all of us to be consistent with the house of God and to the things of God.

I find that I can be very easily persuaded, especially in areas where I am not the most confident. A good example would be with cars. I only know the most basic things about vehicles and I am certain mechanics see my lack of knowledge and use it to their financial benefit. I am willing to admit anything car-related is not my area of expertise.

However, encouraging others and talking to people about God is something I think I am gifted in. It just comes naturally. I work at it every day on my job and feel familiar and comfortable most times with talking to people. I believe the reason Mary was comfortable in the presence of the angel and not taken by surprise as Zechariah was simply because daily she sought and dwelt in the presence of the Lord.

1 John 4:18 says: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love cast out all fear…” Mary was in love with God. Her relationship with Him was something I could only imagine she pursued daily. She was consistent and devoted to the presence of the Lord. My momma always taught me that consistency is key. As a kid, I struggled to retain things, which made studying very difficult for me. My mom would make me write vocabulary words out several times or sing and spell them aloud until I got them down. Consistency is key.

When we consistently give ourselves to the things of God, He takes joy in that. He blesses that. He honors that! When we are consistent with the things of the Lord, we can like Mary say “be it unto me according to your word.” Don’t let the things of this world pull you away from what matters most- the things of God. Consistently pursue Him.