As people who follow Jesus, we often must overcome obstacles to experience and live out our life purposes. However, many of us either give up or go into survival mode when we encounter challenges in life. To maximize what God wants for our lives we must get out of the TGIF mentality and begin to thrive in the power and purposes of God. Mary was just such a person. Read Luke 1:26-38.

• Do you live your life as a TGIF person? Why or Why not?
• In my daily life I am:
  
  __NOT an overcomer. I stress a LOT
  __overcome with worry about my current circumstances
  __learning to trust in times of challenge
  __an overcomer, trusting God no matter what

Mary faced and overcame some tough obstacles in fulfilling the purposes of God and we can too if we will take the steps Mary took when faced with an unknown path or major difficulty. The first thing she did was to realize God’s promises to her. By standing on the promises, that she was highly favored and that God was with her, she was able to face her fears and everything else that might come against her. God also gives us promises to stand on whenever he seeks to use us for greater purpose in our lives and in the world. Read Romans 4:20-21.

• Describe a time you were overcome with fear?
• Which promise of God do you regularly rely on or trust?

The Second thing Mary did was to recognize her predicament and understand that only with God’s help and power would she be able to fulfill God’s calling. It is dangerous to try and solve things on our own because we all have many limitations within us. It is not until we surrender our will to God that God’s will is done in and through our lives, no matter the situation or circumstance. Read Zechariah 4:6.

• What are some personal limitations you deal with on a daily basis? How do you overcome them?
• Have you ever surrendered total control to God in a situation? What happened?
• How do you get out of the way to allow God to work in your life?

The last thing that Mary did was to respond to God with a positive faith. Because she relied on God’s promises she was able to respond in a positive manner. And it was through her response that her faith began to activate her miracle. Likewise it is not until we speak faith that we can activate the promises in our lives and the possibilities for our lives. Read Proverbs 18:21.

• Do you approach life difficulties in a positive or negative manner?
• Describe a time you allowed God to work in a tough or overwhelming situation?
• What situation do you need to give over to God today?
• What step will you take to allow God’s power into this tough situation?