Articles
Faith in Action
First off on this Father's Day week, let us all take a moment to reflect on the blessings and examples that our fathers and father figures can be in our lives. Let us never forget and be thankful for their love and commitment to us, especially when disagreements or other conflicts arise.
Parents already feel the weight of the responsibility that comes with caring and guiding another person's life. But Joseph, Jesus’ mortal father, had the extra daunting task of being responsible for the Savior of mankind. Despite any pressure Joseph might have felt, he rose to the occasion of fatherhood by being a great role model of a person that has spiritual integrity and acts on his faith.
The very first mention of Joseph in the Bible is in Matthew 1:18-19. The verses mention how Joseph was spiritually obedient to Jewish Law and that he also did not seek to publicly humiliate of Mary after finding out she was pregnant. Joseph had not talked to the angel yet concerning the circumstances of Mary’s conception; therefore, the only conclusion Joseph could arrive to at this point would have been adultery. If someone “cheated” on you, would you get angry, shame them, and seek revenge in every way possible? If so, is that a lesson you would now or one day want to pass on to your kids? Instead, wouldn’t you rather pass down the standard Joseph’s sets of leaning on your faith, considering the other person, and overall showing love? A person’s true legacy is the example that she/he sets for her/his family and others. Going forward, dwell on the example you are currently setting and then on the example you desire to set.
When it comes to acting on faith, Joseph’s example in the Bible is powerful because he is never recorded talking. The verses that mention Joseph are always about how he scripturally acted or reacted to the given situation--whether that was accepting Mary to be his wife, raising Jesus as his son, fleeing to Egypt, living in Nazareth, etc. Joseph always listened to God and acted on His words with confidence.
Although God is not speaking to you through dreams and angels as He did with Joseph, God is still speaking to you through His Word today. If you listen enough and open your heart, the Bible will guide you through obstacles and decisions you will have in life. But will you choose to be a listener who obeys with all his heart like Joseph, or to be a listener who does not act--and therefore never truly understands the truth and light that comes from God?
Inspired by: Matthew 1:18-25, 2:13-15, 19-23, 28-32; Luke 8:19-21; James 2:14-26; 1 John 3:16-18
