Let go of your reputation.
My pastor said that Sunday morning and I immediately thought of Mary.
She was pregnant.
A virgin, but carrying Jesus, the Savior.
But who would’ve truly believed her, when she told them that she was with child of the Holy Ghost?
Probably not any of us.
We would’ve whispered about her as she walked by. We would’ve stopped to talk about her at the well. We probably would’ve mocked her claim that it was the Savior that she carried.
We would’ve shook our heads as Joseph went ahead with the betrothal anyway.
Not everyone is going to understand what God called you to do.
And your reputation may be one thing you have to sacrifice, to complete the task that the Lord laid out for you.
Let go of your need to be understood.
Let go of your need to jump to the defensive.
Let go of YOU.
That’s what Mary and Joseph had to do.
They had to lay down all those normal things, all the normal reactions to carry Jesus.
They had to lay down their need to explain, their need to defend, their need to say anything…to carry the Savior.
They knew that in the end, their calling would speak for itself, the fruit that would be produced would defend them and the Lord would fight for them.
You may have to lay down your reputation to carry the Savior, to complete what you have been called to do.
You may have to be misunderstood.
You may be talked about.
You may have people tell you that you’re wrong.
You may have people absolutely enjoy trying to smear your reputation.
But if you’re doing what the Lord told you to do, what he created you for, what he called you for…then that’s all that matters.
His applause is all that matters.
His pleasure is all that matters.
His voice of approval is all that matters.
You may have to let go of a lot of normal emotions, normal thoughts, normal responses to carry the Savior to a world that desperately needs him, to hold true to your calling, but the fruit you will bear may just change the world.
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