Mary, the mother of Jesus, must have felt a bit of anxiety the day she explained the situation to Joseph, the man she was to marry. How shall I tell him that I am going to have a baby? What is he going to think when I tell him that it is God who brought about this pregnancy?
Mary was likely a young teen when she became betrothed (engaged) to Joseph. Most suggest that Mary was between thirteen and fifteen. Being pregnant at that age in those times was not a problem, however being pregnant and unwed was a major problem. She stood to be shamed, ridiculed, and even stoned.
After Mary accepted the will of God to bear Jesus, she had to share it with Joseph. How would she tell him? Finally, the day came when she had to share the news. “Joseph, I am going to be a mother. An angel came and told me it would happen and that this baby is the Son of God.” Now I am using a little imagination here, but if I were Joseph, my response would most likely be, “Do you think I am crazy!?”
The bible in Matthew chapter 1 tells us that Joseph was troubled about the situation and struggled with how to handle it. He had the right to shame Mary as he broke off the engagement. Scripture tells us that he decided not to make a spectacle out of her, but to manage the situation quietly, however the marriage was off! One night as Joseph was sleeping an angel of the Lord came to him in a dream and confirmed Mary’s story. Joseph then took Mary as his wife and the rest is history.
What changed Joseph? Did Mary continue to nag him? Did Mary’s family come to him and tell him he was wrong? Did the priest tell him to do the right thing? No, it was God who changed Joseph’s mind and heart.
So often we think it is our job to convince someone of what God said. Mary told Joseph what God had revealed to her. It was not her job to convince Joseph to live by God’s revelation to her. Mary had to stop striving and start abiding. Mary had to be still and let God be God. Mary had to trust God with Joseph.
Are you struggling with someone who will not walk according to what God has said in His word? Perhaps it is a child who has forsaken the faith or no longer speaks with you, a spouse who will not do the right thing, a person at church who seems off the right path, or someone at work with whom you have shared the faith. It is easy to fall into the trap of “it is my job to convince them.”
Is it possible that God wants you to be still and know that He is God? To trust Him with the seeds you have planted? To trust Him to work in the situation?
So, what can we do while we wait? Here are a few suggestions of what to do instead of constantly trying to convince the other person.
- Pray without ceasing. Pour it out to God.
- Trust God with the end result. He is an expert at change.
- Take your thoughts captive. If the situation plays over and over in your mind, sing a song of victory, or speak a scripture of faith in God.
- Wait on God. Patience will be required. That for which you are believing might not happen for days, months, or even years. Wait on God.
- Stay filled with the Spirit and allow His sweetness to flow out of you. Yes, this is possible.
The process is hard sometimes. It is frustrating at times. Only God can change a heart, but the truth is God CAN CHANGE people. There is an old saying that has been around for decades, “Let go and let God.” Sometimes that phrase can produce laziness when one expects God to do it all. Yet, there are times that we have to place it at His feet and trust Him to work.