Zechariah’s Silence: The Power of Surrender and Trust in God’s Will
Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God. ~Lk 1:64
I wonder what would it be like if I couldn’t say a word for nine months? Given the virtual nature of my day job, lacking the ability to speak is a huge barrier.
The follow-up question is: would such a situation get me to pay attention and trust what God is telling me?
What I want to highlight is that Zechariah’s chastisement didn’t end until he affirmed what the Angel Gabriel told him. His act of writing down John’s name on the tablet was the physical representation of surrendering to God’s will. It wasn’t only logic or emotion but the full surrender of His body, mind, and soul.
With only two days away from Christmas, I invite you to assess if any part of your faith life is affected by a doubting mindset like Zachariah’s.
- Reviewing the year, where have I hold on to the need to control my life?
- What promptings of the Holy Spirit have I been ignoring?
- Which blessings have I dismissed as coincidence or luck?
- Alternatively, identify one to three examples of events in which you fully surrendered to God will. Then, explore what made those circumstances different than the ones you doubted?
As advent ends and we welcome the birth of a new life thanks to the Word made Flesh, let us offer all those obstacles and doubts to Jesus so that He may use them for the benefit of his redemptive plan.
In peace,
~Juan
