In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, and the virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel went to [Mary] and said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God!”

Luke 1:26-27, 30

Fear is perhaps our most primal emotion.  In small doses it can be very helpful- alerting us to potential danger and suggesting a course of action, whether to flee or fight.  However, in large doses fear can be paralyzing, like ice cold water seeping into our soul; it overtakes our senses and immobilizes our will.  I have found that fear accompanies almost any step of faith that a believer takes and is often a tool of the enemy to keep us from fully embracing God’s plan for our life.  It is no mistake that “Do not fear” is one of the most frequent messages from God to His people.  Fear keeps us cautious, tentative and self-focused. 

Mary certainly had reason to fear.  Her part in God’s plan was terrifying from start to finish.  As I meditated on the Christmas story this week, I came up with what I think would be on “Mary’s top ten fears” list.  I’m sure there were many, many more…  

1. The fright of encountering a bright, celestial messenger from God after 400 years of silence from the Almighty.
2. The terror of having to tell your parents that as an unmarried teenager you are going to have a baby.
3. The dread of explaining to your faithful fiancé that you are inexplicably pregnant.
4. Fear at the stigma of being a single mom in a culture that stoned adulterers.
5. The anxiety of the prospect of raising a child in a nation of poverty and Roman oppression.
6. The shock of realizing that you are being forced to travel 85 miles by foot, donkey or cart on unpaved roads from Galilee to Bethlehem while nine months pregnant.
7. The dismay of realizing that every single room in the entire town is already taken and you have nowhere to go.
8. The panic of realizing that you will deliver your firstborn child in a filthy stable.
9. The apprehension of going through labor pains and delivery for the first time all alone and in a strange environment.
10. The feelings of fear and inadequacy that must follow trying to nurture and raise the son of God.

I think that is why at the very onset of the Christmas story, God’s message to Mary was “Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God.”  God’s antidote for Mary’s fear was His favor- all of the grace, strength, enablement and provision that she would need for this difficult journey.  True, God’s path for Mary was almost unimaginably hard, but His step by step provision for her was sufficient to meet each obstacle.  From the miraculous dream that redirected Joseph from thoughts of divorce to the generous provision of finances through the gifts of the Magi and even an angel chorus announcing the birth of the Messiah, God’s grace met and exceeded each challenge.  God’s antidote for your fear is His favor, too.  You are favored!  Following God and fulfilling our part of His eternal plan is not without pain, disappointment and sacrifice.  Being a disciple has never been easy, just ask Mary.  But His grace, favor and enablement continues to follow His children and it will follow you.  If you have eyes of faith, you too can learn to recognize His favor in the midst of life’s trials and respond with thanksgiving and worship.