What Would You do?

As seen in the HEARTbeat and the Village Voice

“What Would You Do?

            Everything in your head tells you that you must do something a certain way.  Your friends all tell you the way they think you should do or not do something.  Societal norms dictate you should do something the “right” way.  You agonize over the decision you must make.  The problem lies before you.  You only have a short time to decide.  What should you do??!!

            Will you seek counsel from someone you trust, someone wiser than you, or someone who has been through this before?  All good people to seek out, but none give you the advice you want to hear.  You are at your wits end.

                        As adults we may reach an impasse over some of life’s major decisions.  “Do I go this way or that way?”  Not to make too much light of a decision of this magnitude, I’m reminded of a “Yogi-ism.”  Yogi Berra once said, “When you come to a fork in the road, pick it up.”  We can stress over life’s decisions way too much.  In the end, following your “gut feeling” will end up being your best decision anyway.  Do what you know to be right.  Follow your own heart.  After all, you will be the one either vilified or praised for the decision you make, not your friends.

            Joseph was in such a position.  He was engaged to be married.  He had paid the dowry set by agreement between his father and the father of the woman.  The bride-to-be was, as is said, “off the market.”  In other words, she could not accept the advancements of any of suitor.  Then word comes to Joseph that his fiancé is pregnant.  I’m sure he was devastated.  What should he do.  The law told him to do one thing.  Break the engagement agreement and get the dowry back.  He could have turned her over to the Sanhedrin to be stoned, as was the law.  But he decided, out of his deep love for her, to quietly end the engagement and not put her or her family to public ridicule and disgrace.  He must have thought, “Great, that’s what I’ll do.  Good decision ol’ boy.”  Then He laid down his head and felt relief at his decision.

            Then, not just any angel, but the Archangel Gabriel came to him in his sleep with a message directly from the throne of God.  “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.”  He woke and did exactly what he was told.

            Joseph went against the law, societal convention, and probably the advice of friends to follow God’s instructions.  Is following God easy to do?  Absolutely not.  But the outcomes are out-of-this-world great!  We too may need to go against societal pressure or even friendly advice to do what God is telling us in His Word, or through His Holy Spirit in us.

            When in doubt, always seek the best counsel available – the inspired Word of God which always has the correct answers to life problems and issues.  When you do, He will give you the peace you are seeking.  To do otherwise is not God-wise!