Doing What Is Right -vs- Doing What Is Best

I was recently studying the book of Matthew about how Jesus was conceived. We all know that Mary was a virgin who was engaged to Joseph, and then became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit.

How this must have made poor Joseph look, and feel I could only imagine. For your fiancé to become pregnant by someone else had to be a humiliating experience for him. However, being the man of integrity that he was Joseph did not think of himself, or his humiliation. Joseph instead thought about how this would look upon Mary.

At this time an act of infidelity by a woman could have led to banishment, isolation, and even death by Jewish authorities. Joseph did not want Mary to be shamed in that way. Matthew 1:19 “Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.” 

Joseph decided to do what he felt was right, but God revealed to him what was best.

God sent an angel to intercede Joseph’s thoughts of secretly leaving Mary, and told him “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” – Matthew 1:20-21

Joseph did as the angel told him, and took Mary as his wife.

Would you be able to do what was best according to God’s will even if it made you look silly in the public eye?

Taking a pregnant woman as your wife when the baby isn’t yours in this day and age would make you look crazy. Imagine how bad it may have looked back then. The looks, the stares, the whispers of gossip behind his back; just imagine what Joseph might have endured.

Sometimes the better thing to do in God’s mind makes no sense in ours. In our minds it made no sense for Joseph to marry a woman who was having a baby by someone else. Joseph was well within his right to leave her.

No matter which decision Joseph made it would have affected Mary’s life tremendously. When our decisions affect others we have to diligently seek God’s wisdom for not just what is right, but for what is best and what is best may not always make us look good.

I can imagine it being extremely difficult to be obedient to instructions that may make you look foolish publicly. However, being obedient to God meant more to Joseph than public humiliation. We should all seek to have the obedience of Joseph to follow God’s direction no matter the cost.

He knows the end from the beginning for our lives. God knew he wanted Joseph as Jesus’ earthly father. No one else would understand that Joseph’s obedience was fulfilling a prophecy told long ago.

We never know what prophecy we might be fulfilling due to our obedience, or how much we might be throwing God’s will off by our disobedience. Our steps are ordered so even if you think you are doing what is right, still seek God for his approval on what is best.