Swindoll's Living Insights Commentary Matthew 1a - Flipbook - Page 41
Standing in Joseph’s Sandals | Matthew 1:18-25
not hastily, in relation to your own decision making. Then get off the
fence of indecision and determine to do what’s right, not just what’s
comfortable.
First, are you being forced to make a tough, life-altering decision?
One that calls for sacrifice in order to obey the Lord? I know that some
of you reading this find yourselves facing unbelievably difficult decisions that can literally change your life. They may call for great sacrifice. My counsel to you is this: When it’s a matter of obeying God, do
it! You can count the costs and seek godly counsel, but once you’ve
determined what it is God wants you to do, follow the model of Joseph:
Do the hard thing. I’ve learned in my years in ministry that the right
thing is rarely the easy thing. As I look back over my life, some of the
best decisions I ever made were also some of the hardest decisions I
ever made. You may be facing one of those kinds of decisions. (I’m
deliberately leaving the circumstances vague so that this principle can
be applied in whatever life-altering situation you may be experiencing.) Don’t be afraid.
Second, are you now experiencing the brunt of others’ criticism and
judgmental attitudes because of a decision to do what is right? You may
have made a tough decision and are now living in the backwash of
others’ tongue wagging and headshaking. Perhaps you’ve chosen an
unpopular path, like giving up a promising, lucrative career to pursue what many think is a fool’s quest. Maybe you’ve stayed faithful
to your spouse when you could have bolted. Maybe you’ve admitted
your inability to break free from an addiction and have taken courageous steps toward recovery . . . and your old “friends” don’t like it.
Whatever it is, my counsel to you is to keep at it! You’ve done what’s
right. Yes, there will probably be those who won’t let you off the hook
or commend you for doing what is hard. But stay with it. Don’t run
from it. Keep at it.
Third, are you aware of someone who needs an advocate to help support them through a difficult time? Maybe your prodigal child is suffering through an excruciating experience. Maybe your spouse needs you
at their side to walk through a trial. Maybe the leaders of your church
need a few more allies and encouragers. My advice to you is to go there!
It’s not easy. It requires sacrifice and discomfort, and their problems
will certainly become yours. Perhaps their enemies will begin to attack
you. But being an advocate is the right thing to do. Go there.
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