Joseph provides us with such an inspirational, yet challenging, example as he navigated life. Through all the ups & downs, starts & stops, victories & defeats, we see him being faithful to both God and those God placed in His life.
Sure, there were times of struggle. Most certainly there were moments where he would want to take matters into his own hands and fix things. However, we never read of him removing his love for God, or others, while doing so.
1 Peter 3:15 tells us to “always being prepared to share with anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”
Fellow Christ-followers, do you see those final words?? Gentleness & respect. When I read that passage this morning I was encouraged when I saw the phrase “hope that is in you.”
My encouragement was challenged almost as quickly as it came when Peter instructs that it is to be done with gentleness and respect. The reason? I don’t know that any of us can say we have seen many people, at all, operating from that place, including ourselves.
Perhaps it’s because we have lost our focus. After all, that’s maybe the biggest source of temptation we face, taking our eyes off Christ and placing it on everything around us, and mostly, on us solely.
Jesus is the Light; period. Not us. Jesus is Hope; period. Not us.
Yet, He has instructed us, as Christ followers, to be His representation here on Earth. To show Him forth as the Hope in glory.... how??? With gentleness, and respect.
Maybe another way to say that would be, “Love your neighbor (your fellow man) as yourself.”
How are you doing with that? Make no mistake, it’s easy for us to point fingers at others who are not doing that and justify it to feel better about ourselves, but take a moment and ask yourself that question without trying to project to someone else as a point of reference or standard.
Use the standard and example of Jesus Christ. How are your actions, words and attitudes doing in comparison to His example?
So, as we look at the days in which we live, what if we took the approach of Joseph to be faithful to both God & others and lead with the hope that is within us in gentleness, kindness & love?
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