Obligated to Give

Sometimes the holidays land us in a position where we feel obligated to give a gift. In Matthew 1:24 it says, "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife." It seems Joseph was the first person to give a obligatory gift. He had to give up his rights to his future wife to God. I'm always fascinated with Joseph. He was just as chosen as Mary. I could argue that he was more so. His name and pedigree would have to be and would be assigned to Jesus legitimately and permanently. He had to accept bearing Jesus just as much as Mary did. Mary's DNA was used, but something equally intimate from a Biblical standpoint, Joseph's name, was also required. It's what all those "begats" are all about. Joseph was the human father. This meant, in his day, that he was Jesus' main parent. He was the head of the house and 100% responsible for raising Jesus. Imagine this. More than any other human being and much more than Mary while he was alive, Joseph was responsible for Jesus. He had to protect him, feed him, teach him, discipline him, and provide for him and his mother. There's not much written about Joseph, but there would be nothing written about Jesus if Joseph hadn't stepped up to his calling to be Jesus' adoptive father. The thing is, unlike me, he didn't set out to adopt. He was obligated to give himself to Jesus by God. It's important to remember that some obligations end up being worth everything.

What do you feel obligated by God to give? How are you doing with this in your life?