Continuing from * ‘Tank Your Reputation II”
Gulp. A bead of sweat forms beneath Joseph’s beard. He faces a dilemma. Make up a lie and preserve his place in the community, or tell the truth and kiss his tsadiq good-bye. ~Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life (W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214) 84-85 (continuing. . . .)
He makes his decision. “Joseph . . . took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her first born Son. And called his name Jesus” (Mathew 1:24-25).
Joseph tanked his reputation. He swapped his tsadiq diploma for a pregnant fiancee and an illegitimate son and made the big decision of discipleship. He placed God’s plan ahead of his own.
Would you be willing to do the same? God grants us an uncommon life to the degree we surrender our common one. “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” (Matthew 16:25 NLT). Would you forfeit your reputation to see Jesus born into your world?
II Continuing. . . Max Lucado from his book ‘Cure for the Common Life’ wrote:
You’re a photographer for an ad agency. Your boss wants to assign you to your biggest photo shoot ever. The account? An adult magazine. He knows of your faith. Say yes and polish your reputation. Say yes and use your God-given gift to tarnish Christ’s reputation. What do you choose?
A college philosophy teacher daily harangues against Christ. He derides spirituality and denigrates the need for forgiveness. One day he dares any Christian in the class to speak up. Would you?
One more. You enjoy the role of a Christmas Christian. You sing carols, attend the services . . . Come January you’ll jettison your faith and re-shelve your Bible. But during December, you soar.
But this December something hits you. The immensity of it all hits you. Heaven hung her highest hope and King on a cross, for me.
~Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life (W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214) 86- (continued) (for the first of these three posts click * Tank Your Reputation)
