Joseph’s Obedience Series

But there's also an indirect impact as well. Think about how others will view your obedience to God. You may have some friends that say, “You're crazy to do that.” When I've told people I was leaving my job to become a pastor, I had more than one strange look. But there will be others that will see your faithfulness to God's word. They will see that there is something different about you because you're following God. They will see you living out the gospel.

Christianity is not for the weak. Think about the obedience of the first disciples. When Jesus said, “Follow me,” what did they do? Peter and Andrew just dropped their nets and they left. They didn't say, “Yes, but can I just” first. Think about how Jesus responded when someone said that to Him. He said – “Let the dead bury their dead.” Christianity is a way of life that demands us to be obedient to God. Joseph model that for us. Compared to many men in the Bible, Joseph is the one that demonstrated unwavering commitment to the Lord. I think that's pretty impressive for a carpenter.

One thing that amazes me is that we can learn so much from Joseph, yet scripture doesn't say that he spoke a word. Obviously he spoke, but there is no words at all for Joseph. Just by his actions he demonstrated that it's possible to obey God with breathtaking, unquestionable obedience.

In a society where adultery and harlotry had come at such a high price, it would have been easier for Joseph just to put Mary away. How many times do we want to do what's easy? However, we as Christians aren't called to do the easy thing. We're not even called to do the hard thing. We're called to do the right thing. The right thing, as in Joseph's case, is to be obedient to God. Sometimes it's easy. A lot of times it's hard. But we overcome the hard with the courage that we get from God.

Joseph is the unsung hero of Christ's early life. Through obedience, he impacted Mary, he impacted Jesus, he impacted the other children, and I think he impacted Jesus’ entire ministry.

You may be thinking right now, “I don't know if I can. I don't know if I can be obedient like Joseph.” Just remember, when we're obedient, God gives us the courage despite how hard it seems. But all we need to do is listen and follow.