God uses children to make us less selfish. Because what can yank you out of your self-absorption faster than a fussy baby or a screaming child?
All parents make sacrifices for their children. But God calls some parents to unusual and difficult sacrifices.
Mary was engaged when the angel Gabriel showed up and said, “Hail, favored one. The Lord is with you. Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God…. You will conceive and give birth to a son… He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” Luke 1:28, 31-32. The angel explained everything and Mary knew that for the rest of her life people would gossip that she did wrong and conceived a bastard child. The scandal would dog the family forever. How did she respond?
“Behold the bondslave of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to thy word” Luke 1:38.
Joseph had a similar experience. Mary told him the news and he decided to quietly divorce her. Someone else could raise the bastard child of whatever loser Mary had hooked up with. But an angel came to Joseph and told him the news. He obeyed, married Mary, and kept her a virgin until the child was born.
Both parents were asked to make a sacrifice—to be reputed as “sinners” for the rest of their lives, and to raise a son who would be born under a cloud of suspicion. In the early days, even their families would have doubts. Others would have doubts for the rest of their lives. But so what? So what if the enemies of God think ill of you? Your job is to obey and please God, not to please His enemies.
Dear God, give us the courage as parents and future parents to make any sacrifices to which You call us. Make us self-less parents and self-less people, believers who live to serve You and to serve others. Thank you for the courage of Mary and Joseph. Help us to be as brave and obedient as they were, to face not only scorn and mockery, but even the agony of watching our children suffer, as Mary watched Jesus and “a sword … pierced her soul,” Luke 2:35.
ΑΩ
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