Now... an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise..." And he rose...
-- Matthew 2:13-14
I can complicate things. I am the type to buy an Ikea dresser and go it alone. Instructions are for needy. After all, what use to me is the input of the furniture's creator?
You are ahead of me, aren't you?
We often go it alone. I'm not saying we turn our back on God. I am not saying we lose our faith. It is possibly worse: we claim a faith that has no impact. We acknowledge a God with our mouths, but deny his power - or at least his nearness - in the way we live.
Joseph was told what to do and he did it. He didn't write a song (or a blog) about it. He did it. He didn't talk about how to discern the will of God, or ask for prayer. He did it. (None of these, by the way, are bad things. Allow an old preacher to over-stress in order to make a point.)
Here is the point: God spoke... Joseph acted. We see the same in the lives of Abraham, Hannah, Moses, Mary... and on it goes. God speaks. The faithful listen and do.
Now it is easy to say, "But an angel appeared to Joseph..." True. But Joseph couldn't read the Sermon on the Mount. He couldn't hear the Spirit speak through the Apostle Paul. We have the opportunity, ability and responsibility to listen and do every bit as much as Joseph. I would propose we have even greater opportunity, ability and responsibility. (And Christ's words throughout John 14 would support this.)
The deficiency in my Christianity is seldom that I simply don't know what to do. More often, the issue is that I know and don't do. Or, I struggle to simply listen. Eventually, ears can become dull.
We have the inspired Scripture available to us in any and every media format imaginable. And we have the abiding Spirit of God with (and within) us who speaks and empowers.
Our part is to listen and do.
God, I will listen and do.
For now...
D
