Imagine a huge castle with dozens of rooms, lots of land around it, and kings, queens, princes, and princesses living inside. Because it’s a lot of work to take care of a castle, the royal family who owned it would need servants. So, they would hire people like maids to clean and do laundry, cooks to shop for and prepare meals, gardeners to take care of the land, and guards to keep the castle safe. Having servants made sure that life in the castle ran smoothly.


After Gabriel gave God’s message to Mary, she responded with an important “behold” statement, saying she was the Lord’s servant, willing to be used in His plan. Serving God is different from being hired to work in a castle. It means a person is humble, selfless, and wants to please God. Mary desired to set aside any importance she had. She wanted to focus on doing what the Lord wanted her to do more than doing anything else. Mary chose to love, serve, and obey Him without expecting anything in return. Being God’s servant is the most important thing anyone can do. When we serve Him, it shows others how great and wonderful and glorious He is.

Do you think doing what God told her to do would be easy or hard for Mary? Why?


How can you show God you want to be His servant?

Fold pieces of paper in half. On one side, draw a picture of yourself. On the other side, write down (or have a parent write for you) some ways you can show God you want to be His servant. When you’re finished, pray together, and ask God to help you hear His voice and bring glory to Him by doing what He says.