Mary: A Model of Radical FaithSample

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 (KJV)

Luke 1:38 is a simple and powerful statement that reveals Mary's heart and radical life of faith.

Mary's statement demonstrates the true meaning of servanthood and the relationship between our words and what we believe in our hearts.

Servanthood is an identity proven by reverent submission or obedience (Romans 6:16)

Mary called herself "the handmaid" of the Lord. Another word for “handmaid” is “servant.” Mary knew and acknowledged her identity as a servant of God. She lived with an awareness that she was created to serve God. Mary’s awareness or knowledge of her identity empowered her to submit to God's will and fulfill divine purpose.

When we live with a strong awareness of our Lord, who we are in God, and our purpose here on earth, we will live a purpose-driven life and fulfill God's purpose for our lives (Hosea 4:6; John 8:32). When we live conscious of our identity in God, we will live by faith and take radical steps of faith to change our lives and the world.

As God's handmaid, Mary dedicated her body to God as a living sacrifice through her statement. She served God with her body by yielding to the supernatural implantation of a holy child in her womb. Like Mary, we were created to serve God with our bodies. 1 Cor 6:19-20 (KJV) says, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Reverent submission or obedience to God was the fruit or proof of servanthood. We cannot say we are God's servants without obedience. We cannot say we are God's servants without showing fruits that reveal who masters us.

Radical faith submits to God's perfect will. Radical submission is a product of radical faith.