Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

Luke 1:26-28

Grace appears in unusual ways and when we least expect it.

The extraordinary announcement of the Angel Gabriel to Mary underscores an essential gospel truth, that is, God's favour is unmerited and cannot be earned. It is borne out of God's perfect love and complete acceptance of us, and not because we have done something deserving or worthy. This is why Gabriel told Mary to rejoice.

God's favour allows us to discover our relationship with God in ways we have never known or thought possible. We believe God can do the impossible, but like Mary, we can't imagine God will do the impossible in and through us. Often our excuses would be, "we don't have the faith for that" or "my faith is not at that level yet". Truth is, faith is never supposed to be a "self-manufacturing" exercise.

Intimacy with God grows our propensity for faith.

Faith comes by knowing how much God truly loves us, and if we take God's love seriously, living by faith is not an elusive dream, but an ever-present reality.

While we may feel an enduring sense of shame when we don't measure up or become guilty because of our lack of faith, pause and pray and praise God. When we are once again awed by God's grace and favour in Christ, we will find the will and the desire to do what God has called in our lives. This is not because we can never fail or falter in our calling but because we have found courage in spite of our fear of failure. The power behind this transformation rests on the victory Christ won for us.

When Gabriel told Mary, "Blessed are you among women, this declaration of God's favour becomes a pivotal place for her to take personal responsibility and discovery as to what this favour entails. To know God's favour is to rest in the truth that God will never forsake you, for He loves you too much to ever do that!

Our encounter with God's favour opens a new perspective of life and faith. One from which we are more willing to take greater risks and be more vulnerable without fearing what lies ahead. Like Mary, you are already blessed even before you start. As such, you can never fail or disappoint God because you are doing something with God, not for God.