But while I love John 3:30 and always will, it was actually a different verse that helped me approach this struggle of too-much-self from a different angle recently. Right there in the buildup to the Christmas story! After being told that she would give birth to the Savior of the world, Mary took some time to visit her relative, Elizabeth, who was also experiencing an improbable pregnancy. 

If ever someone had a pretty good excuse to be focused on herself, I’d say it was Mary right after her memorable social call from the angel. Think about it… She was a young (perhaps teenage), unmarried virgin who had been visited by an otherworldly being who said there was a baby growing inside of her. Pregnant by who? Oh, you know, the Holy Spirit. No big deal. If I were in her shoes, I’d probably be thinking a whole lot about myself. Why me? How is this going to change my life? How will this impact my future? Is my fiance going to dump me? Are my friends going to abandon me? Are my parents going to judge me? What will everybody in my community think? Even if they say they’re on my side, how will I know what they’re really thinking about me? Am I supposed to know how to be a parent to … God? And on and on and on.

It’s natural to first think about ourselves. That’s one unavoidable result of mankind’s fall into sin. Do you recall? When Adam and Eve first sinned in Genesis, their focus immediately turned to themselves as they became aware of their nakedness. 

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” -Genesis 3:7-10

Surely some self-focused thoughts were swirling through Mary’s mind. But after making her way to Elizabeth’s, Scripture records a song Mary sang, and oh is it a gift for us today. You can read the entire thing for yourself in Luke 1:46-55. Today, I just want to present for your consideration the very first verse: 

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” -Luke 1:46

That’s it, right there. She turned her focus away from herself and onto God. We would not have blamed her, I don’t think, for saying that her soul was filled with worry or fear. We, hopefully, would not have judged her if she started by saying that her soul was tired and anxious. But even if she was worried, scared, tired and anxious, she made the conscious decision to magnify God instead of magnifying herself. 

Here are some definitions of the word magnify: 

• To make something appear larger than it is
• To increase or exaggerate the importance or effect of
• To cause to be held in greater esteem or respect
• To increase in significance
• To enlarge in fact or in appearance
• To make great or greater
• To intensify
• To extol, laud, glorify

Mary chose to magnify God in the midst of her wild, unexpected life circumstance. She placed her focus squarely on Him. As you read the rest of her song, you see her recounting God’s past faithfulness to her people and pointing out His attributes. Her song would have sounded a lot differently if her mind had remained centered on herself. Instead, although some self-centered thoughts surely lingered, she brought her God-centered thoughts to the forefront. She chose to magnify Him!

You and I can do the same thing today, no matter what situations we’re facing. Whether it’s something big like Mary’s situation or something much smaller, we can magnify God. How? When worries creep into your mind, have a Bible verse ready to recite. In conversations with the people around you, turn the focus to God, even if it’s just a quick mention. When you wake up in the morning, give Him your first attention. Before you fall asleep at night, talk to Him about your day. Express gratitude, confess your sins, and present your petitions before Him. Look over your weekly schedule, and see how much time you’ve set aside to read the Bible and simply be with the Lord. Take a second look at your budget for the week, month or year ahead, and see if it suggests that you’re magnifying God with your finances. Dare to look at the screen time and usage reports on your phone. How much time are you spending on social media apps every day? How many times are you unlocking your phone to begin with? Does the amount of time spent suggest that you’re increasing God’s significance in your daily life? Or do you need to prayerfully set some parameters that will free your mind and attention to spend more minutes/hours talking to God, enjoying His creation, fellowshipping with other believers, listening to encouraging podcasts, etc?

If some of these humble suggestions (that I am making to myself as much as I’m making them to you) feel overwhelming, pick ONE to start with. Which one made your mouth twist up a little bit or caused your heart to drop? Start there, and remember, it won’t be as easy as flipping a switch. Magnifying God in your life is not always natural, and it’s not a one-time decision. It’s something you’ll need to consciously choose to do over and over, every single day. Sometimes it will feel uncomfortable, and at the start, it might even feel unfun and irritating. But as time goes along, choosing to magnify God in your life will surely reap rewards of joy, peace, maturation and who even knows what else. So get out your magnifying glass, and point it firmly up toward the heavens. 

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.” -Luke 1:46