Can You Be “Ordinary” AND Significant? Joseph of Nazareth Was.

With the arrival of the Christmas season, do you wonder how to understand the Savior better? Are you convinced that an ordinary person like you could never make a significant contribution to God’s work? In either case, learning about Joseph, the man who helped raise Jesus, could be helpful to you.

Mary and Jesus often get the most attention in Christmas carols, pageants, and sermons, but Joseph was a crucial part of the holy family with an impressive identity of his own. His genealogy listed in Matthew 1 reveals that, as a descendant of David, Joseph could have been the king of the Jews under different political circumstances. Instead, Joseph worked as a humble and evidently poor carpenter.

We, too, may be faced with circumstances that we don’t feel we deserve—that we don’t receive the same privileges as others. But Joseph of Nazareth is proof that there is no shame in hardship or poverty. As children of our heavenly King, we can each remember our divine identity and be happy to live humbly.

But perhaps more special than Joseph’s physical lineage were his spiritual strengths. The two that stand out the most are attentiveness and obedience. His life shows examples of these traits over and over again.

The first we hear of comes after the news of Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph could have legally had Mary killed for adultery, but instead, he decided to take the more merciful course of action by divorcing her privately. This would leave her with self-respect and some rights. Joseph apparently spent a lot of time pondering this issue and probably said many prayers as well. Perhaps it was after one such prayer that he received the news from God that Mary was innocent and would give birth to the Savior.

Though it probably ruined his reputation with many people and made no sense outwardly, Joseph quickly followed God’s instruction to wed Mary. It was because of Joseph’s protection that Mary was able to give birth, as a virgin, to Jesus in the city prophesied to be the Lord’s birthplace. Joseph must have been worried and frustrated by the lack of room or help he and Mary found in Bethlehem, but he did the best he could to provide for his family, and that was enough.

Joseph later showed his closeness to the Spirit again by hearing God’s command to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. As always, Joseph was attentive and obedient. He took the safety of his family seriously and obeyed God’s warnings despite any inconvenience.

We may face times when we don’t know what to do or what we are able to do doesn’t seem extraordinary. But, just as He did for Joseph, God will always give us any information that is necessary to our eternal progression and happiness—as long as we listen to the Spirit and strive to keep the commandments. It’s comforting to note that, even in the case of Jesus’ parents, perfection was not necessary. With God’s help, our best is always sufficient.

The Bible doesn’t list many details about Jesus’ childhood or teenage years. We can pick up, however, that Joseph must have shared all of his knowledge with Jesus. He schooled Jesus in carpentry, lived as an example of obeying the laws of the land and of God, and helped Jesus learn the Gospel. Joseph was crucial in the preparation of Jesus for his eternal mission.

We aren’t asked to impress the world; we are asked to simply be good examples. It isn’t likely that our names or deeds will be recorded in scripture or even the newspaper, but they will be seen nonetheless. Family members, friends, and even strangers will be inspired that someone can be “ordinary” and yet build a life of peace and joy. So be “ordinary”—the kind of ordinary Joseph was. Listen, obey, and remember that in the end, you can never go wrong with Christ at the center of your life.