I just want to be a better man.
That’s what a friend said to me the other day.
That’s the sort of thing someone usually says after being caught not being a better person, an assurance that they are not as bad as they now appear.
Not so with my friend. No personal or moral failure prompted this desire. In fact, it was his job success that led to this clearer focus. He had come to realize that it was possible to be successful in his career, rapidly promoted, highly esteemed without truly growing where it counts most. He was thankful for his success but realized that it would not necessarily make him a better husband, a better father, and a better friend to God and others.
This Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Advent, our lesson will come from a teenage girl, Mary, and we will see what it means to be truly blessed of God. Found in Luke 2:39-56, it presents a great example of what anyone can most hope for in their life.
And the most interesting reality is that our greatest hope has nothing to do with our success or performance.