Purpose or Pity

Matthew 1:20-21

But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is by the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to name Him Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. 

God knew Joseph’s pain, and He immediately sent a message to him to reassure him of his decision to marry Mary. God’s plan was never to hurt Joseph but to use him for a greater purpose than he had imagined. What the Holy Spirit conceives in someone else may affect your dreams and plans. Would you be willing to give up your own dreams for the sake of someone else’s? 

Parents often face this question. God was giving Joseph his very first taste of being a husband and a father. In order for our children to fulfill their dreams and purpose in life, we must often sacrifice our own plans or even dreams. God, in turn, does something beautiful in us. He enables us to foster and nourish greatness. I wish every parent could sense this about their own children. 

Maturity is a virtue that is fading from our culture. It comes with selfless acts and consideration of others. As long as we remain a society of selfish, materialistic, emotionally inept individuals, we will never see a purpose or a possibility greater than our own desire. That is a sad world in which to live.  Joseph became a man of purpose when he took a pregnant Mary as his wife. May we all become men and women of purpose, rather than men and women to be pitied.

Have a blessed day!