What are we Pregnant with?

In Romans, before this passage, Paul has just greeted a series of men and women of God and admonished them to watch out for those who would teach false doctrines other than the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

Romans 16:25-27

Now to them who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

What is God implanting in your life that needs time to grow before it is ready to be born, and change your life forever? Before you have a child you think of yourself and your spouse. When you are thinking of having children everyone says, “Your life is going to change forever,” and it does. You get pregnant and then have 9 months for that beautiful baby to grow within you. By the time that child finally comes into the world you have sat night after night, and day after day dreaming about what he or she will look like, smell like, feel like in your arms, and what their personality will be like. I remember sitting in my house and dreaming of what Tyson was going to be like. Would he have brown or red hair, would he be tall or short, would his head be big or small? That sometimes concerned me the most since his brother's kids all had huge noggins. The moment Your child comes into the world, you only think about their well-being. Then over the next year there are a series of firsts that leads you into walking, and then, very quickly, chasing.

But what if? What if you became pregnant and the next day you went into labor? What if the baby walked the day they came home from the hospital? Until Tyson was 6 moths we had not child-proofed anything. Why child-proof? The kid can't go anywhere on his own. Believe me a parent needs that time of pregnancy to prepare there home and life for this new life that is joining them. A parent needs that child to start out small and simple, so that the parent can grow along with the child in their understanding of how to love and care for that baby.

Our spiritual lives are the same way. We need time for God's vision to be planted and prepared in our lives. As God prepares that vision within our lives, God also creates the anticipation in our hearts as our gifts are being honed for God's purpose. Then when our purpose and call come to fruition, we are able to step into that calling with total abandonment because we are ready.

I can not count how many times I have heard, “It is not about the destination, but the Journey.” This is the same thing. In our story in Luke 1:26-38, The Angel of the Lord comes to Mary and prepares her for what is about to happen. She is about to become pregnant with God's child. She is about to be the talk of the town, and not in a good way. God not only plants within this chosen one God’s seed of life in the form of a child, but also plants within her a dream and vision of what will come because of her sacrifice and obedience. To her this did not make any since and she even asks how this is to happen when she did not do anything physical to have this outcome. God understands when we are confused, and puts a hand of peace on us as if God was placing God’s hand on our back and allowing us to know that we may not understand, but that God will be with us through everything. God will be with us through the hard times, through the planting, through the preparation, through the lonely times, and the times of sacrifice. God will be with us when we celebrate. God will be with us when we are persecuted and in pain. Then when we come to the place where we are living fully in our calling, God is also there to hold us true.

After the seed of vision has been planted, Mary accepts her part in the will of God. There is fear, there is confusion, but she accepts that she will be with God and God will be with her no matter what. Her words were, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Those are strong words for someone so young. What about us? Some of us are so much older than Mary was and some are younger, but when God calls us what are we going to say? Will you confirm that you are a servant of the Most high God? Will you accept God's plan for your life exactly how God wants it to be, even if it does not lie up with the dreams you have for your life? Mary's dream was not to be pregnant before she was even wed. Mary's dream was not for the town she grew up in to see her as a whore. But she chose to not care about the acceptance of people and to give her life to the one high God. When I get to heaven I want, most of all, for my Master, My Father God, My Mother God to look at me and say, My good and faithful servant, you have done well.”

None of the people in my life that judge me daily for not living up to their standards are going to be the ones who save my life, who have died for me, and who loved me so much that they created me. Only God hold all those positions and titles in my life. Next we hear from Mary after she has had time to live in preparation. She probably went through some ridicule and pain because of her circumstance. All we know is that she was sent to her cousin Elizabeth's home to spend some time away from her community. But God gave her a reprieve in the middle of her preparation. God gave her a time to sit in the presence of those who knew this pregnancy was not a mistake of a sinful nature, but was a blessing that would be able to save the world because of Mary's obedient heart and sacrifice. Mary's response to this reprieve of exhortation is to exhort her God and king. God gives us times of restoration in our process of preparation.

We need time to sit in God's presence and be restored. We need time to commune with God and with like-minded people. God sends like-minded people along to lift us up, situations to remind us who we are and the reason's God has called us to do what we are working so hard for. In Mary's Song you can hear the growth of character, maturity, and wisdom that has come from her preparation. You can also see why God chose her to be the mother of the Massiha.

“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for God has looked on the humble estate of God’s servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for God who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is God’s name. And God’s mercy is for those who fear God from generation to generation. God has shown strength with God’s arm; God has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; God has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; God has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich God has sent away empty. God has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of God’s mercy, as God spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Now we have a job to do. Way back in the day when Mary was here she was given a choice to live her life normally or to live her life in God's will. And her sacrifice did not go in vain. Because of her obedience we have salvation. Now it is our turn to pick up the baton and run the race so that we to can live in the will of our creator. As it says in Romans 16:26, All this was done and made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith.”

God makes God's self-known so we will follow God and create relationship with God. Christmas is coming, I know not what you were thinking, but if you think about it in pregnancy we are getting ready for the coming of Christ. That baby is going to be born. Right now we are in harvest time and then everything goes dark and we wait for the light to come. So in this time of harvest it is a time of expectation and joy. But it is also a time of preparation. For some, it is a time of fear and loneliness. For others it is a time of remembrance. But no matter what this is a time to prepare our hearts for our coming king. As we come into this time of harvest and we step into preparing for the darkness, remember that the light is right around the corner. Use this time wisely and when it is time to have that dream become a calling, and then that calling become reality, keep your eyes on the master, accept the call, and live your life so that God will say, “My good and faithful servant, you have done well.” Then when it is time you get to know you did life with love in your heart no matter what.