What Is This? Embracing the Gifts You Didn't Ask ForSample

Mary gets a lot of love in the Christmas story, and rightfully so. Giving birth to the Son of God is like the ultimate flex. 

But Joseph deserves a few Christmas songs written about him too. Mary knew the baby inside her was from God, but the only thing Joseph really knew was that the baby inside her wasn’t his — and the news of Mary’s pregnancy put Joseph in a tough situation.

He had two choices: divorce Mary quietly, or have her killed. Laws were harsh back then, and not in Mary’s favor. (You don’t need everything to be in your favor though when you’ve got the favor of God on your life.)  

Mary’s news broke Joseph’s heart and shattered his plans for their future. In the wake of his disappointment, Joseph decided to divorce Mary quietly, but to divorce her would’ve been to divorce his own destiny. 

Maybe you’re reading this today and you’re trying to walk away from the problem that actually holds your purpose. 

What seemed like the right decision to Joseph wasn’t actually the best decision, so God intervened and presented Joseph with a third option: marry Mary. An angel appeared to Joseph — not to fix his problems, but to give him a new perspective. 

When God reframes the context of your circumstances, you can view your disappointments as divine appointments, just like Joseph.

Joseph’s journey, like Mary’s, wasn’t an easy one. Chances are Joseph went his whole life with some unanswered questions. But just like Mary, Joseph got the experience of a lifetime, and if he could talk to us today, he would probably echo Paul’s words in Romans 8:18. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” 

If you’re feeling disappointed this Christmas by disruptions, ask God to change your perspective if He won’t change your circumstances. Trust Him to open your eyes to the opportunities in the obstacles you’re facing.