Christmas teaches us to be little cookie people …

If God interrupted your day today with an audible conversation and explained to you that He wants to use your life, physically and in every way, to bring great blessing to the world, but to do that, it would completely mess up your life, what do you think would be your immediate response?

We like to think we would be selfless enough to make ourselves available to God, but that part He added about messing up our lives might make us hesitate, at the least. Chances are, because of God saying using our lives would completely mess things up for us, we would probably start making excuses why we’re unavailable, not the best pick, or downright not interested.

That’s because we’re not naturally servant-oriented. We’re “big cookie” oriented.

Years ago on the television show “Candid Camera,” children were used in an experiment about generosity.

The children were placed by themselves in a room with a plate of cookies, one of which was larger than the others. They were left with instructions that they could take a cookie if they liked. Of course, they all took the big one.

One boy was challenged as to why he took the biggest cookie. The TV host, Allen Funt, said to the boy, “All you left me to eat was the little cookie. I would have eaten the little cookie and given you the biggest one.”

Without a blink the boy responded, “Then you got the one you wanted.”

We’re more naturally “big-cookie” people.

But Mary, the mother of Jesus, wasn’t.

An angel of the Lord did interrupt her day with a conversation that included grand plans God had for her that would completely mess up her life. The only question she had referred to the seemingly impossible part of it — how could a virgin could have a child? And then what was her response?

“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her,” Luke 1:38.

Mary was a “little cookie” person. She was willing for her life to be spent for the glory of God and the blessing of others.

Mary’s son would be a “little cookie” Person, also.

The lesson of Christmas is for us to be “little cookie” people. Are you one? Have you willingly submitted your life to be poured out for the glory of God and the good of others? Or are you reaching for the big cookie, and looking for a glass of milk to go with it?

Scotty