[This is my seventh post of eight in my “Vintage Wednesday” series on “The Great Initiator,” re-written/updated from a blogpost back in April of 2011.]

A young lady is simply minding her business one day when an angel appears and announces that she will bear the Son of the Most High. God initiates, Mary complies, and the world has never been the same since.

Several questions come to mind:

1. Was there any other young lady around this time that God could have chosen—someone of humility, courage, and integrity?
2. Would Mary have made this decision had she known the resulting pain she would bear in accepting this call?
3. Why does God often choose and equip the nobodies of society to fulfill His will in the world?

Key lessons for leaders based on the questions above:

1. Regardless of my current status, fulfillment, or dreams, I must continuously work on becoming a leader worth following.
2. I must choose clarity over certainty, realizing that the future is always uncertain and I must lead by faith based on what's currently known. Fear of the future paralyzes; life's pain can develop character and shape me for greater future success.
3. I know who I am and whose I am and that is enough. I don't underestimate my potential when I am in the will of God, knowing that He is for me and works through me; my role is to stay faithful. All I do is to His glory whether I am involved in something big or small.