And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.  ~Luke 1:38

I confess that I do not like it when things don’t go my way. I may not scream and throw things, but I struggle just the same. I wish I were like Mary, totally surrendered to the will of God and His plan for my life, even when it changes my plans. But the good thing is that God is not finished with me. He will continue the work He’s begun, no doubt continuing to give me opportunities to submit my will to His.

I often ask God to be glorified in my life. In my mind’s eye, I see God’s light radiating through me wherever I go, but it hit me this morning that God can best be glorified by genuine servanthood–the thankless, mundane tasks that seem monotonous and lack “glory.” When Jesus’ disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom, Jesus told them:

“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”

On Earth, we esteem others based on accomplishments, talents, or seeming success. God, however, is looking for faithfulness. You can be the most successful person in the world, but if you are not doing what God has called you to do, all of that amounts to nothing.

I’m grateful that God finds ways to make His will known to me. Although, as I mentioned, I do not always embrace it, I am grateful that God convicts me of my attitude and replaces it with a joy that comes from serving Him.

I’m convinced that pride is the one sin everyone deals with, but Scripture tells us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Let’s all strive to be that “servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes” (Matthew 24:46).