Christmas – What Others Think of Me is None of My Business

Here are some conversations that may have taken place around the Christmas story

Angel: Hi Mary, your going to have a baby.

Teenager Mary: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me. What others think of me is none of my business

Angel: He will be the saviour of the world. Its going to be so exciting. Us angels are going to throw you the biggest baby shower ever.

Teenager Mary: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me. What others think of me is none of my business

Angel: Oh yes, Joseph, your fiance, may well reject you

Teenager Mary: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me. What others think of me is none of my business

Family and friends: So your pregnant, you have God’s child within you who is going to be the Savior of the world? Are you psychotic???

Teenager Mary: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me. What others think of me is none of my business

Joseph: I don’t fully understand but I had a dream. Should I trust my dreams?

Teenager Mary: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me. What others think of me is none of my business

Innkeeper: You want a room? You look like you need a delivery suite. I have one of those. Its a hole in the ground where the cows sleep.

Teenager Mary: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me. What others think of me is none of my business

Shepherds: Kind of ugly isn’t he but he has a special kind of starlit glow to him doesn’t he. Perhaps he might become a shepherd too. (wink wink nudge nudge)

Teenager Mary: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me. What others think of me and my baby is none of my business

Wisemen: (In true barber shop style) We three kings have come from a far. Following some crazy big star. Here we sit, here we ponder, a baby born to be king. ohhhh …

Teenager Mary: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me. What others think of me is none of my business

Ok, enough levity!

It is Christmas after all and it is serious business this religious stuff. Living under the expectations of others. Making sure we get what we think they would like. Looking at their faces for approval as they are handed yet another box of scorched almonds.

In the way we give do we hope to find some sort of approval. Is there a self centred motivation in giving?

‘What am I going to get back in the form of approval’

‘Have I have met the expectations of my family, friends, society’.

‘You know you really are a loser if you don’t give everyone the newest flashest most expensive present out there’.

Performing to other peoples supposed expectations will destroy your peace.

Mary was different.

I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me. Luke 1:38

‘What others think of me is none of my business’ was a quote from a podcast I heard this week.

I don’t know what Mary’s self talk was like through the Christmas story. She actually doesnt say very much. I wonder however if through this whole crazy adventure (advent_ure) she kept her focus on the conversation and experience of the angel visting her. (Luke 1:26-38)

There are things we need to hold onto to get us through crazy times. Self talk we need to repeat over and over again to maintain focus on what is truly important.

Christmas is first and foremost a time of relationship restoration. God restoring his relationship with mankind by becoming mankind.

Worship God the best way that you see fit, because Christmas is about what God thinks of you and is nobody else’s business.

Barry Pearman
Photo Credit: Jesse Michael Nix via Compfight cc