18th december 2022
Learning from Joseph and Mary entering God’s plan.
Finding: Things don’t always happen as we imagine! Disappointment is part of our life!
Mary imagined a beautiful marriage to Joseph, a quiet house in Nazareth, having some time as a couple with Joseph before discovering that she was pregnant and then giving birth to a beautiful baby that would look like Joseph, etc. Joseph imagined … Mary and Joseph imagined…
How to overcome the disappointment to enter the project of God?
– Complaining: “I have the right… that’s why I want it!”
– Depressing: “Anyway, I don’t deserve it…”
– Envying, “Why do others have it and I don’t?”
– Accusing: “It’s not fair! what did I do to God to deserve this?”
– Listening to what God says to me in his Word (Bible)
– Seeking to discover the voice of God in the voice of those who are around me: friends, spouse, brothers, priest, etc.
Obeying reveals the quality of my relationship with God. “Jesus replied: “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40
Because I know that God loves me, I believe in what He tells me – I trust Him – and because I trust, I do what He tells me to do.
– Action without Love = Ritualism
– Love without Action = Bla-bla-bla, only words
– Immediately: as long as you don’t, you’re disobeying!
“When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the Angel of the Lord had commanded him and received his wife. ” Mathew 1:24
– Continuously: if you stop, you’re disobeying Him!
– Sacrificially: accept losing to win!
PPP – In contrariety…
… stop grumble and entrust to God what is against you!
… says, “My God, I think you know better than I what’s good for me!
… obey: do immediately (now) what God said.