Be a Devotee like Mary

Be a devotee like Mary the mother of Jesus was, Second Eves. Protestants and born agains shrug off any mention about being a Marian devotee but they know little about her great standing in the Lord. And their Roman Catholic counterparts, though serious Mary devotees, know a lot less, if any. 

Special Choice

Mary was specially chosen out of all the women in Israel, in fact out of all the women in the world. Why? First, because of God's grace and sovereign choice. Second, because of her outstanding faith. I have not seen a Protestant or born again or Roman Catholic girl as radical in faith as Mary was. 

Settled in Being Poor

Most poor women, even born again and Catholics (or especially them) dream of being rich someday. Even Christians in the middle class do not settle for what they have. They always grab for more. They would use God in prayer to reach their dreams--going to the US to earn in dollars, or to some far away shore to work and get double the pay they earn at home. I've seen countless born again women doing so well as professionals in Manila but who give up their jobs to find greener pastures in the US. 

Mary had no such taint of materialism in her. She was content in what life station God had apportioned her. You can see here her radical be-it-unto-me-according-to-your-Word life principle in all aspects of her life. Christians today just sing this Word in church, paying mere lip service. But in reality, they want a good, materially pampered life by hook or by crook. I've seen Christians tell lies just to pass US embassy screening. They show money in their banks, money that isn't really theirs. I've also seen Christians who sneak into the US as illegal entries and over stay. Yet these "believers" serve God in church.

Settled with Joseph

Mary never looked for a rich or well educated man to marry. She was contented to be a poor carpenter's wife. Many "Christian" girls today would never settle for a poor carpenter as a spouse. They'd want moneyed suitors, or at least educated ones with titles and degrees who may someday end up moneyed. Christians hate being limited in resources. Mary never nagged Joseph about money or about asking his boss a raise. She never told Joseph to go look for a lucrative job or work abroad.

Mary NEVER complained. 

See that? I have never seen such a serious God devotee as Mary was. Many today just join worship teams and sing in choirs and be seen performing on church stages. Many just want to have titles and degrees and go to bible schools and seminaries. Many just want to be active in church. But NOBODY is willing--as Mary was--to give up everything and follow Jesus, in extremely low profile. 

Mary was All for Jesus

How many of us, Second Eves, would remain meekly quiet about traveling the desert while 9 months pregnant? You realize how hot the desert is? Mary endured just to obey God. And how many of us would remain meekly content at delivering a baby on a dirty, messy, grimy, and smelly manger where farm animals ate and released waste? Mary did all that--without complaining to Joseph or God--for Jesus' sake. Because she genuinely believed! We're all fake believers compared to her. 

Mary was wiling to take everything in, knowing that someday her son would be taken from her and sacrificed. "May it be done to me according to your Word." We sing these lyrics today, even expressively, totally naive about what they really mean. Christian pop singers sing this on youtube with all the glamor and comfort of an air conditioned, hi-tech auditorium, in very comfy seats and attires and earnings. Mary had none of that. 

Mary declared, "Be it unto me according to your Word," even if it meant public disgrace and scandal--bearing God's Son in her womb outside of marriage. And she never made any attempt to explain to the public the weird phenomenon. She never bothered about image as many churches and "believers" today do. But she knew what to do--and my guess is, it's because Mary was deep in God's Word. When you're like that you become radically selfless. Only the naive and uninformed worry about weird stuff from God. They panic. I've seen many churches panic at the sight of God's genuine but weird move taking place. Some even call it cultic or demonic in their naiveté. Churches today are the most panicky entity. 

Mary had personal, quality, and deep devotions with the Father and knew the details about the coming Messiah--something many churches today cannot boast of. Mary never panicked when she saw an angel. And I guess that shows how she was used to seeing them. She was that spiritual that God entrusted her with angelic visitations. Titled theologians today would have called Gabriel a demon. 

I think God wants us Second Eves to be devotees like Mary was. Perfectly content at whatever station in life God has placed us. Without any effort at being somewhere else. But very deep and alive in the rhema spoken Word.