Find Hope: Matthew 1-4Намуна

How Good Are You at Handling Change?

Most people don’t like change. We don’t like changes in plans. We don’t like changing what we eat, wear, watch, believe, or even who we bank with. As a matter of fact, in Australia, people are more likely to get divorced than change who they bank with! Most people hate change. And most people will not change until the pain of not changing is greater than the pain of change.

In a big way, Mary’s pregnancy was a change of plans for Joseph—Mary’s betrothed.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Matthew intentionally gives us details about Joseph to show how he feels about the change of plans.

Imagine being Joseph. You’re engaged to the lovely Mary. You’re working hard as a carpenter to pay for the wedding. You’re planning and dreaming of your life together. And sure, maybe he’s thinking of kids, but only until after they’re married.

But then God changes the plan, and Mary becomes pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Imagine the shock, anger, grief, and embarrassment Joseph would have felt. Yes, he loves Mary, and I'm sure he wanted to believe that this baby was a virgin conception, but many would have found this difficult to believe. This is not how Joseph saw his engagement going.

And yet, in this story, pay attention to how Joseph responds. Any lesser man would have flipped his lid at Mary and divorced her publicly and loudly. A lesser man would have sought revenge and publicly shamed Mary for what must have been infidelity.

But being a just man… he didn’t.

Next minute, an angel of the Lord shows up to affirm Mary’s story. The baby is from the Lord.

And in that moment, Joseph's pain and grief of life not going according to his plan is flipped into excitement. And now, as he looks back on that moment when Mary told him about the baby, he sees that his grief, anger, and shock were unnecessary.

In our life, God brings change. He doesn't bring us virgin conceptions, but he does sovereignly orchestrate things to bless and form us into the image of Jesus. And yet, when those changes occur, when life doesn't go according to our plan, we grieve, which is okay, but what we should also do is remind our souls that God is in control. Instead, we need to train ourselves to zoom out and gain perspective. In the scheme of eternity, no challenges in this life will last. They will end. And God will use whatever pain we are experiencing, be it in this life or the life to come.

Today, ponder this: How has your life not gone according to plan? This morning, pray a prayer of thanks to God for your life, your story, and how God has worked through both your obedience and mistakes and is continuing to work through your life for your good and his glory.