18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. ~ Matthew 1:18-25
One of my favorite movies is Rise of the Guardians. In the movie, Jack Frost is lost, trying his best to be visible to others. He tries and tries again but fails each time, so one night, he helplessly looks to the moon and asks what he’s doing wrong and what his purpose is. The very next day, he gets his answer, but he doesn’t want it to be true; he doesn’t want to accept it, and he blatantly denies it. This is how we all are today.
God created mankind to have a purpose, not to live life hopeless and without value. God wasn’t just talking to the people of Israel when He said, “For I know the plans I have for you” (Jeremiah 29:11). We know this because Paul writes that God is the God of both the Jews and the Gentiles, therefore, if He has plans for the Jews, He has plans for the Gentiles as well (Romans 3:29-30).
Therefore, when the LORD shows you the plans He has for you, don’t fight it. His plans are for our good and for our welfare. The plans we have for ourselves may seem good, but they can’t compare to the plans God has for us. Therefore, this Christmas, let go of your prejudices and preconceived ideas and cling to the good plans the LORD has for us.
Before the end of the movie, Jack Frost accepted and embraced his purpose, and in doing so, he was seen by someone for the first time. When you accept the plans the LORD has for you, the good things that you desire will be given to you. Joseph could have left Mary. He could have quietly divorced her as he had planned to do all along, and in doing so, he would’ve missed out on being the father of the Messiah. But Joseph trusted God and followed His every command, and in doing so, he was not only able to meet the Messiah, but he raised the Messiah.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Accept Your Purpose.