On International Women’s Day, I’ve been thinking about a woman who had insurmountable courage and true grit, but we often see her as a meek and mild young woman. Let’s explore the true grit of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
When we picture Mary, we often imagine a romanticized scene — a gentle young woman holding the glowing infant Christ, surrounded by peaceful animals in a quiet stable. But if we read the Scriptures and understand even a little history, we cannot ignore the grit this young teenage girl must have had to reach that beautiful moment we celebrate at Christmas.
For Mary to say yes to God took courage. Walking that yes out for the rest of her life took true grit.
“And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant[a] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:37-39 WEB
Mary Knew
Webster’s defines grit as “firmness of mind or spirit; unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger.”
From the moment she said yes, Mary had to live out that definition. She had to hold firmly to God’s promise with an unyielding faith while facing public scrutiny, possible ostracism, and doubt from those who knew and loved her best.
A Messiah coming through the womb of a poor, unmarried girl was difficult for people to believe. Mary knew what she would face:
- whispers behind her back
- judgmental looks in the marketplace
- questions she could not fully answer
Perhaps most painful of all, her obedience could have meant losing Joseph, the man she was pledged to marry. Yet through every trial, every uncertainty, and even the sword of grief that would pierce her heart years later, Mary held to the same declaration:
“I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be to me according to His word.”
Mary was a woman of the Word. And God’s Word gave her the strength, stamina, and grit to walk through every hardship of her life.
God Knew
In Mary’s day, a woman’s value was tightly tied to her purity and her ability to bear children within the covenant of marriage. To be pregnant outside of that covenant carried deep shame. God knew Mary would face suspicion, rejection, and public humiliation.
Yet He also knew something else: She had the grit to hold to His word. The fact that God chose to enter the world through a woman is powerful.
He could have arrived in glory.
He could have descended in a cloud onto a palace throne.
But when God could have come any way He wished, He chose a woman.
A young woman. A humble woman. A faithful woman.
God entrusted her to carry His plan, bear His Son, and steward the greatest gift the world would ever receive.
There is no higher recommendation.
We Know
Today we honor Mary because we see the story with two thousand years of hindsight. But in her own lifetime, people did not see it that way. Mary had to hold firmly to the promise while enduring doubt, gossip, and suspicion—even from those closest to her.
Looking back, we see that she was chosen because she could handle it.
She endured the whispers.
She raised the Messiah.
And she stood at the cross when many others fled.
Within the Gospel story itself is a powerful message about the value of women.
In a world that often tried to silence or diminish them, God spoke clearly through Mary’s life:
God found her capable enough, trustworthy enough, and strong enough to carry His most precious gift.
He placed in her hands the Messiah—the Living Word—to nourish, teach, love, and protect.
Within the Gospel is a liberating truth:
God values women of His Word.
Women of courage.
Women of strength.
Women of grit.
Prayer
Lord,
I ask for Your strength in my weakness. Give me confidence in the faith You have placed in me, even when others gossip, misunderstand, or believe things that are not true.
Thank You for giving me Your Word. When I turn to it, I find courage, strength, and the grit to keep walking the path You have set before me.
Lead me and guide me through this moment in time.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
