Mary’s life was unfolding just as she had hoped and expected. She was betrothed to Joseph—a faithful and hardworking man—and soon they would be married and start a family together. Then, in a single moment, everything changed. The angel Gabriel appeared with a message that would alter the course of her life forever—she would conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit and give birth to the long-awaited Messiah (see Luke 1:31-33). This was a calling beyond anything she had planned, one that carried both great honor and great hardship.
Faced with this unexpected announcement, Mary responded not with fear or resistance but with surrender. She had only one question about how this conception would happen as she was still unmarried and a virgin, and upon hearing the angel’s answer, she humbly submitted: “I am the Lord’s servant … May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38). Her story is a powerful reminder that surrender is not about understanding every detail but about trusting the One who calls. She courageously let go of her own dreams and expectations, and wholeheartedly embraced the role and plan God had chosen for her.
Mary’s pregnancy would change her life, her status, her reputation, and her upcoming marriage. There would be scandal and hardship. Potential divorce if Joseph believed she had been unfaithful to him. This pregnancy and this child would change everything. But she didn’t focus on the risks. She released her own plans and expectations and embraced God’s plans—she was favored for this momentous task, and she was merely a servant of the Lord, willing to do as He asked of her.
She accepted that being favored didn’t necessarily mean she would receive earthly riches and an easy-breezy life, but that she was chosen for something important to His eternal purpose. It didn’t all make sense, but she surrendered to God’s will for her life and the life of her son. She submitted to the Lord’s plans, trusting that He would make her path straight (see Proverbs 3:6).
Sometimes in life, we’ll have hard paths to follow. But thankfully, God doesn’t leave us to travel those paths alone. Just as He was with Mary in every challenge—providing Joseph’s steadfast support, Elizabeth’s encouraging companionship, and the angel’s reassuring words—He is with us in our surrender. Emmanuel is not just a name we celebrate at Christmas; it is the promise that we are never alone. When we yield our plans to Him, He walks beside us, strengthening and guiding us through every unknown.
Mary’s surrender allowed God to conceive something new and beautiful in her life. Mary’s humble surrender allowed her to receive Christ into her womb and into her life, just as we humbly receive Him into our own hearts and lives.
But Mary didn’t just submit to God’s plan—she embraced it with joy. She could have surrendered begrudgingly, resenting the hardships ahead: the scandal, the arduous journey to Bethlehem, giving birth in a place fit for animals. Yet, instead of bitterness, we see a heart fully yielded to God’s will, no matter what it entailed. She understood that holiness didn’t mean an absence of hardship, that waiting on God’s promises often came with pain, and that she was His servant—not the other way around.
Mary’s surrender seemed immediate and effortless, but her son Jesus showed us that surrender is often a struggle. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He wrestled in prayer, weeping and sweating drops of blood as He pleaded for another way. He longed for His disciples to stay awake and pray with Him. Ultimately, He yielded to the Father’s will.
Perhaps, as Jesus grew, Mary told Him of the angel’s announcement and her response: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38 ESV). Could her humble surrender have helped shape His own? On the night before His crucifixion, He echoed the heart of her words: “Not my will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42b).
Surrender isn’t easy, and it doesn’t promise a pain-free life. But Mary and Jesus show us that the safest, most fulfilling place to be is within God’s will. In surrender, we release what we were never meant to hold so that we can embrace God’s greater plan. Because of their willingness to yield to the Father, we can celebrate Christmas and live in the joy of Emmanuel—God with us—always.
About the Author:
Jenn Soehnlin is a mother to two boys who are precious blessings and who both have special needs. She enjoys writing about faith, praying Scripture, and special needs parenting at www.embracing.life.
Jenn is the author of Embracing This Special Life, On the Same Page with God, and Embracing Emmanuel. She loves spending time with her family, curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee, and enjoying a wonder walk through nature.
Check out Jenn’s book, Embracing Emmanuel, at Rachael’s Amazon Storefront.
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