What Mary Teaches Us About Saying Yes to God: Courage in the Quiet
As we begin the fast of St. Mary, a beautiful question arises. What kind of heart is favored by God?
When St. Mary was greeted by Archangel Gabriel, he called her “highly favored.”
Of all women, she was chosen for the highest honor ever given. God saw indescribable beauty in a young girl’s heart and set her apart to change the world.
There are many hidden treasures we see in St. Mary—humility, purity, and holiness.
The Church celebrates her as the model of these divine attributes. But one essential quality led to her being chosen: her faithful willingness to say yes to God.
She wholeheartedly said yes when most people would say no. That type of abandon takes incredible courage—to trust in whatever God has chosen, no matter the cost.
The Power of a Quiet Yes
We see St. Mary’s willingness after she receives the unbelievable news that she would bear the Son of God.
Mary responds:
“Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
Her world was about to change dramatically—she was young, she didn’t fully understand, and the path ahead was uncertain.
Yet Mary courageously embraced the will of God. Not needing all the details. Not fearing the shame of the community. Not worrying about how she would handle it.
Instead, she boldly surrendered her life into the hands of the One she knew and trusted.
But how did she get there? Her courage didn’t come out of the blue, or after a single encounter with the Lord.
It started with the daily, quiet yes said in her heart.
Before this moment, she had spent twelve years serving in the temple. Day by day, she was willing to say yes to every small task in front of her.
Maybe it was cleaning the temple floors, preparing for services, or faithfully doing handiwork. Whatever it was, her life was a continual yes to the Lord.
With every act of obedience, her courage, faith, and strength deepened. Each built upon the last, preparing her for what was to come. In quiet, hidden seasons, she nurtured her inner life with the Lord.
Over time, her heart was prepared to respond to the life-altering news with unwavering trust and a wholehearted yes.
“But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19
When God Asks for Our Yes
If that type of willingness feels unattainable—you are not alone! It’s hard to imagine being in her position. In the face of an incredible mystery, she didn’t hesitate or turn away.
The good news is God doesn’t expect us to take the big leaps of faith, without taking the little leaps first.
And for many of us, that’s where we need to start.
It can be volunteering your time. It can be waking up early for quiet time with the Lord each day. It can be starting that service you’ve been putting off. It can be reaching out to someone who’s been on your heart.
It starts with small sacrifices: waking up early instead of sleeping in, or brushing off discomfort to minister to someone.
But with every small act of obedience, we strengthen our resolve to follow wherever God leads. God is trustworthy, but sometimes our human side just needs to see it to believe it.
When we take a trust fall and land in His arms, we grow our faith that He shows up and provides. And the more we see Him come through, the more willing we will be to jump from higher heights.
We build our trust in the small to prepare us for the big.
What we do in our quiet, hidden seasons will carry us in seasons of uncertainty, pain, and waiting. And as all of us know: the hard seasons will come.
There will be times when our yes will require more than a small sacrifice or discomfort. Sometimes it’s trusting God through a diagnosis, releasing a relationship that God is calling you to let go of, or depending on Him through financial difficulty.
In those seasons, our yes is holding on to God when we feel overwhelmed and all we want to do is let go.
Though St. Mary was highly favored, she was not spared from pain and difficulty. She endured uncertainty, persecution, exile, and, most painful of all, watching her beloved Son be crucified.
Yet she never wavered in her trust in God, and she stayed faithful no matter what came her way.
Mary’s Yes Changed the World—Ours Can Too
“For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name.” Luke 1:48-49
St. Mary’s endurance was never overlooked by God. There is a beautiful line in the Coptic Book of Hours that says:
“You are the honored Mother of the Light; from the rising of the sun to its settings praises are offered to you.”
All over the earth and in Heaven, she is praised and honored for her faithfulness. Though she suffered on earth, she is now the Queen of Heaven.
God honors her for her continual yes to Him.
The same is true for you: God will not overlook even your smallest act of obedience.
Start now, when you’d rather delay. Say yes, even when you’d rather say no. He will honor even the smallest leap of faith we take in His name.
Mary’s obedience brought forth Christ; your obedience brings forth Christ in you. God will bring beauty beyond our imagination when we faithfully submit to His plans.
Our submission will help us achieve glory for the kingdom of God that we never imagined possible.
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The question remains: what kind of heart does God highly favor?
It is a heart like St. Mary’s—quiet yet courageous, humble yet unwavering, and most of all, a heart that dares to say 'yes' to Him continually.
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it.’” John 2:5