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Joseph. Would he land on People Magazine’s most interesting people of 1 A.D.?

I’m not exactly sure why Joseph has caught my attention this year. Usually, he is just the silent figurine in my manager's scene. I imagine him as the steady male figure that held Mary together when she needed to cry.

I have spent time contemplating Joseph’s stepfather status and thumbing through scripture looking for more insight into who he was and what a tough role he played in the Christmas story. Not much is said about him. What was he thinking? How did he feel? Did he keep a diary? What I wouldn’t give to read Joseph’s version of the Christmas story!

We gather Joseph was respectable because he actually had the authority to have Mary publicly executed, even stoned to death (as was acceptable by the laws of the time), but he didn’t. Still, can you imagine how he felt to find out he had a pregnant bride? How did his friends respond? Or his family? All hell would have broken loose at our house!

What about the community and the random comments from bystanders? Can you imagine? I will remind you the Bible is not rated PG. I can’t imagine the words spoken to Joseph. Can you?

And then the angel comes to Joseph. I’ll give Joseph the credit that the angel erased all doubt in his mind, but what about his friends’ and family’s minds? Did it erase their doubt? I doubt it. Most families can’t even agree on the details of politics and religion so what do you suppose they would have said about his so-called dream? Or maybe this the point it turned into a Hallmark movie and the entire community broke into song singing “Jesus Is Coming To Town”?

For Joseph to be able to stand up to his family and community and say “I will take Mary home as my wife” is a powerful thing that is often stepped over. There must be more in Joseph’s journal than what the Bible reveals to us.

Then Jesus is born. Cue the music and go tell it on the mountain!

Joseph was in the middle of one of the world’s greatest dramas. Did he want to be there? He was at the center of the world’s most intricate and beautiful mosaic.

So… where am I going with all of this?

Joseph was obedient.

Are we willing to stand up to society and follow God’s direction? To be obedient? Obedience is far from easy.

I guess you could say I’ve landed on the word obedience and here is my connection from the Christmas story to where we are today as leaders in our communities.

As leaders we think we have to pave the way for others. We actually don’t have to pave anything. All we have to do is be obedient. Paving a way takes movement and a lot of energy. Christ did that for us. As we get rolling with our goals for 2024, movement and forward motion are good, but this is a reminder to not lose sight of obedience to what God is calling you to do. The world will call us to business and success by worldly standards. Can you silence the chaos in order to be obedient? It may not be easy.

As Christians we think we need a north star or Gabriel visiting us on a regular basis. At least I do! Because of Christ we have the Holy Spirit in and with us at all times, but the Holy Spirit is usually speaking in a whisper.

Leaders sometimes run over whispers.

Sometimes the greatest leadership is to be obedient. What is God calling you to do? Where has He placed angels in your life? Are you listening to them or rushing past them? Are you willing to be the obedient Joseph or the Herod that is threatened?

God has a purpose for your life. He has a purpose for mine. But the only way we can step into our purpose is to listen to His direction. Sometimes His direction will oppose even your family and closest friends. Joseph may have been a stepparent by technical terms but he was divinely selected to play the role. You are divinely selected for a very special purpose too. Listen for the whisper and be obedient in your response.

Merry Christmas!

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