Matthew 1:20 NIV _ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Mary was carrying greatness in her womb, but for her to be able to successfully birthed that greatness, the influence of her partner, Joseph was very important.

Matthew 1:24-25 NIV _ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph was a man faithful to the Law. He obeyed the Law of his faith. And according to his belief, a woman caught in adultery had to be shamed.

But he loved his wife so much that even though “she did wrong”, his love was willing to cover her from public shame.

Note the virtue here; LOVE.

Even though Mary was blessed to be chosen to carry the Messiah, she was more blessed by the PARTNER SHE HAD.

Joseph was a man of the moment, and for the moment.

Hadn’t not been for his support and Love covering, Jesus would have been known as a bastard. How shameful would this have been?

Joseph wanted to stay faithful to his religious laws, but he heard God. He listened and obeyed.

He was instructed in a dream to take Mary as his wife. He was instructed in a dream about how he should nurture and cover this child as his Father. He was given the name of the greatness Mary was carrying and was shown the purpose of this greatness incubating in the womb of Mary.

Is your partner faithful? More importantly, can your husband/partner hear God? Does he OBEY God?

The next virtue is OBEDIENCE to God.

Matthew 1:25NIV

But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph didn’t just decide to accept Mary has his wife, rather, he went a good step further.

As his wife, Joseph was lawfully bound by law to sleep with Mary. He wouldn’t have broken any law if he had slept with Mary. But No!

Joseph feared the Lord. Joseph exercised SELF-CONTROL.

Ask your male friends, how many of them will be able to stay 9 or 7 months without having sex with their healthy pregnant wives? Not many.

But Joseph did. A faithful man, who can find?

Joseph denied himself pleasure to see to it that the greatness nurturing in Mary’s Womb materialise.

Woman, the husband you choose really matter. Don’t marry a ‘sugar man’; marry a “salt man”: A man who brings taste to your life, and who preserves your purpose.

Joseph was a “salt man”: He brought taste to the earth. He preserved Mary’s greatness.

Let me tell you some things Joseph could have lawfully done but would have jeopardized Mary’s purpose.

1. He could have divorced Mary.

2. He could have married Mary and slept with her while she was pregnant.

3. He could have chosen not to name Jesus since ‘he wasn’t his seed’.

Etc.

But Joseph showed LOVE, he OBEYED God, and he exercised SELF-CONTROL.

Does your partner have these traits?

Is your lover/boyfriend exercising these traits of Joseph?

It’s NOT only about having greatness in you or having lots of divine Gifts and Talents. But more importantly, it’s about who you marry, who you partner with. Because you become one with the person, and that person’s testimony about you is believed more than anybody else’s testimony.

If you know you are a gifted/talented person, you should be VERY CAREFUL about who you choose as a partner.

Your purpose will be well cultivated or crushed depending on the partner you CHOOSE.

Is your partner a JOSEPH?

PEACE!