Bible Passage: “So (Joseph) got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt…” (Matthew 2:14 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:13-23
Guess what?!
Only 364 days until next Christmas!
If you’re like me, you didn’t want to hear that. After all, you just sat through a month of the same five songs on repeat, an excessive number of cheesy movies, and learned that gift wrapping is not your spiritual gift. Now you have to try to fit the tree back into the box it was vacuum-packed in, and store the decorations in the garage where you’d rather have your project wood.
And that leaves you with a question:
What do I do until next Christmas?
The answer:
Be like Joseph and lead your family.
In Matthew 2, Joseph and Mary were probably pretty surprised to host an entourage of magi. I wasn’t there, but I can imagine how it went.
An evening filled with wonder and awe, with many questions asked and many stories shared.
Then, over breakfast the next morning, the visitors talk about a dream they had and ask for directions to go home via a different route.
This is followed by a goodbye, and the family goes back to their normal activities.
That is, until Joseph himself has a dream. A dream that also warns him to leave, but this time gives him the route to take.
And what does he do?
He did what a good husband/father is supposed to do and immediately got up and led his family.
It’s a powerful moment for him. He was tasked with being the earthly father of God’s gift of the Messiah, and in return, he gave his family the gift of his leadership.
What about us? As we wrap up our Christmas season, do we see that we have another gift to give our families—our leadership?
It might look like investing more time, or creating more memories, or modeling a life of following Jesus better.
Whatever it is, ask yourself where you want to see your family in 364 days, and then begin to lead them there.
Prayer: Jesus, thank You for my family. Help me to be a better husband and father so that I lead them closer to You as they follow me. Amen.
Reflection: If you think about the next 364 days, where do you want your family to be at this time next year, and what would it take to get them there?
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