Pause, choose

Today I paused and thought about Joseph, a prominent voting member of the council. He did not agree with the decision to put Jesus to death and had secretly become a disciple of Jesus. I wonder what went through his mind as he prepared the body of Jesus for burial. I can only imagine he felt great grief and sorrow. His action must have sparked speculation among many of his fellow council members. It was at this point that he made the decision to do the unpopular, go against the grain and choose Jesus. Until that moment he had been able to hide his true self maintaining an otherwise "socially high standard". At that moment and in that place he crossed over. This makes me think of all the times I ride the fence hiding or diluting my true thoughts simply to appear socially status quo. Lets face it a Christian lifestyle is radically different that what the World is currently serving up as normal. Sometimes it is easier to just fit in, not make waves. It is my prayer that I would trust Jesus more than this world, that I would care more about what God thinks than my neighbor, and that I would stand up for what I know is true.

Mathew 27:57-60
As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.