Advent: Joseph

This Advent I want to take a closer, and perhaps imaginative look, at four characters from the Christmas story.

Am I enough?

As a foster-father I have been tasked with raising another person's child, but I still can't imagine being Joseph.  Sadly, the fathers I am asked to step in for are not ideal fathers.  I'm keenly aware that I can't be the same as any child's biological father except my own, but I have never been kept awake at night wondering if I'm as good a father as one of my foster-kid's biological fathers.  

Joseph must have had many sleepless nights wondering if he could ever be close to enough because his son's father was the Father of Lights.  Joseph made chairs, Jesus' real Father made galaxies.  Joseph put food on the table, Jesus' real Father put air in the lungs of all living things.  Joseph was poor enough to need to sacrifice birds instead of a lamb (Leviticus 5:7, Luke 2:24), Jesus' Father owned the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10).

I think most men struggle with the question: Am I enough?

Joseph is a man like I am and I can only imagine he asked himself this question, prayed this question and cried this question to Mary who echoed the same question while also trying to reassure her dear husband that he was indeed enough for her and the Word of life.

God chose Joseph to be the earthly father to His only begotten Son.  Now, God didn't choose him because he was perfect or because of his immense worth.  God has yet to choose a person because they were great, but rather because He is great in and through them.

But let's look at what good thing we can see in Joseph.

He was an ordinary, righteous man with extraordinary obedience.

Joseph was a righteous man and when he found out that Mary was pregnant he decided to not shame her, but to end their engagement quietly.  He could have had her killed for cheating, but he didn't. Then when the angel told him the truth about the origins of this baby, Joseph embraced the shame he didn't want to give Mary.  Joseph was obedient from the moment he woke from his dreamy encounter with the angel.  

Later, when Joseph was told in another dream to take his new wife and son and flee, he did.  Joseph accepted the life a foreigner and outsider until another dream prompted him to return and restart his life in Nazareth.  As we read the first few chapters of Matthew we see Joseph doing nothing but listening and obeying.

Joseph should give great hope to all men (and women) who wonder if they are enough.  The life of Joseph is not given much glitz and glamor.  As I read about Joseph and imagine his life I'm struck by the value of the ordinary people with extraordinary obedience who strive to live a righteous life.  Joseph never found fame or fortune but this ordinary man's righteousness and obedience sent shockwaves of saving glory through time and space.  

If you are willing to obey God and strive for righteousness, you are enough.

This Advent think about the forgotten character Joseph and what we might find in this seemingly ordinary man who was thrust into an altogether, cosmically wild situation.  See the value of ordinary, righteous living today.

Election Day Peace

 Anxious and Angry people must be more likely to vote.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8th and once again we've been told that it's the most important election of our lifetimes.  Now, I believe it is an awesome privilege to be able to vote.  Most human beings have not had a whiff of anything as powerful as a vote in the say of what happens to them and their neighbors.  I'm glad God had me born in a time and place where I can voice my opinion with a ballot.  And there are a host of major issues at stake in this election.  We have issues like inflation, abortion, student debt, gun laws, and more that will be influenced by Tuesday's results.  What party will control the House, the Senate, who will be your county treasurer, does the election become a national referendum on an issue or issues?

Please, educate yourself and vote.

But for the love of God please stop acting as though God isn't God.

Anxious and Angry people not only vote, but they drive ratings.  Many are in the business of stoking anger and anxiety in order to keep your attention long enough to sell fabric softener, beer and over the counter meds to cure the headache the show you watched just caused.  

I have been increasingly convinced that though some people really do enjoy politics and learning about and discussing politics, there are more that enHate than enJoy.  Many people in Iowa get stressed over elections in Texas, California and Georgia that they have no power to affect.  Many people give away such peace for absolutely no return.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with knowing national news.  There's nothing wrong with understanding the times.  But there is something wrong with how most of us go about it.  Most of us live Chicken Little lives in response to the news.  Most of us see a sky that is falling and don't see the God that is reigning.

This week I have been preparing to teach the youth about the sovereignty of God.  God's sovereignty is exactly why I have a peace that passes all understanding.

Today I was worried about something non-election (yes, that's a thing even on election eve).  As I thought about my worry and I thought about the sovereignty of God I did an exercise:  

I breathed in and out deeply while meditating on a phrase.  "God is my Father and He is sovereign."'  Breath.  "God is my Father and He is sovereign."  Breath.  "God is my Father and He is sovereign." Breath.  "God is my Father and He is sovereign."

Oh, what peace filled my mind as I stood waiting for my son to exit the school building.  Those few moments of deep breaths while focusing my mind on a truth of God gave me rest.  I invite you to try that today.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is lovely, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me____ practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9