A Different Perspective
June 30, 2011
Matthew 1:18:
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
I can only imagine how Joseph felt when he discovered that his fiancée was pregnant; betrayed, confused, angry, heartbroken. I can even understand why he would want to call off the marriage. Then an angel comes to tell him that the child is not conceived out of sin but through the Holy Spirit. Mary has been faithful, not only to Joseph, but also to God. This news completely changed the way Joseph viewed the situation.
There would still be challenges. People would still talk and question. But Joseph has the word of the Lord. He was determined to do the will of God regardless of how it was perceived in his community. He also decided to care for his wife despite these challenges because what was conceived within her was from God.
Joseph has been called a model husband. Though the Bible does not give us a great deal of information, from this one story we can draw volumes concerning the character of Joseph and his faithfulness to God and his wife.
I believe that Joseph has a perspective towards his wife that all of us should have towards our spouse. After an encounter with the word of God, Joseph saw his wife in a completely different way. He knew that deep inside of her was something holy and good. He knew that it was his responsibility to nourish that which was in her and help her fulfill God’s plan for her life.
The same should be true for us. What do we see when we look at our spouse. Do we see a vision of what God intends to do within them or do we see something skewed by the enemy’s attempt to distort our vision? Let us look at our spouse in the same way Joseph looked at Mary. Let us see that there is something holy and special inside our spouse and nurture that which God put in them.
There is something special in our spouses. God has a plan for their life and if they are a Christian His Spirit is within them. Never forget this and let this influence your perspective. What are you doing to nurture the holy thing that God has put in them?
