It often seems that before I fully get immersed into the Christmas Season it’s over. There are beautiful lights and decorations around every corner, Christmas music playing in the background everywhere you go and plenty of invitations to get together and add to a fun, but ever-growing to-do list. It’s been called the most wonderful time of the year and I do love this season, but if I’m being honest, too many times I’ve been distracted. Too many times I’ve let the demands of a busy schedule overshadow the power of what the season means. Too many times I haven’t fully unwrapped all the gifts of Christmas. This year I wanted that to be different.
I did not see it at first, but an interesting thing started to happen this year. The Holy Spirit began to weave a theme throughout these December days that would ultimately tie together in a beautiful way. As I finished up final papers and sipped on hot chocolate and tried to embrace the season for all that it was, I started to notice a theme of giving like never before. God dropped this idea of gifts in my heart in a new and fresh way through a handful of special moments and people in my life. Like never before, I found myself seeing the blessings of gifts all around me.
Picking out a Christmas tree with my grandfather like we used to do when I was a child reminded me that time is a gift and we should make the most of it. An invitation to a lovely evening at a friend’s church Christmas party this year was an example of what it looks like to be a blessing to others and make sure that you are intentional about touching those in your life. Being able to be a part of making Christmas special for a family through delivering presents highlighted the gift of generosity and what it means to look beyond yourself. Receiving unexpected cards full of treasured words and gifts from not one, but several people this year reminded me how the gift of encouragement and letting people know that you are thinking about them can make a huge difference. Having a friend throw a holly jolly tea in my honor highlighted the gift of friendship and what it looks like to do life together. Spending time laughing and swapping stories with friends and family reminded me that God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow and that the gift of His blessings in our lives is something to never take for granted. Through going on adventures both overseas and in my own backyard with someone who has taught me so much, who has been there in the ups and downs and who makes me laugh and be braver than I ever thought I could, comes the gift of hope and courage and never giving up. Seeing the excitement of the anticipation of Christmas through the eyes of one very special little girl and her family in Welwyn Garden City, England taught me about the gift of childlike wonder and expectancy. And of course, the most important gift of all found in the journey from the manger to the cross is the ever-present reminder of the gift of love.
As I stopped to think about all these gifts and the things that the Holy Spirit was showing me, I thought about some other gifts. I thought about the first gifts and how the men who brought them to baby Jesus were doing more than just honoring the Newborn King. They were giving us a roadmap to how to seek Christ during this season and how to obtain exceedingly great joy in our lives both now and all year long.
The lesson of the wise men can be found in Matthew 2:9-12 and it says this: “After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.”
I believe the wise men teach us three significant things.
The first thing they teach us is to seek. The life Application Study Bible explains, “The Magi traveled thousands of miles to see the King of the Jews. When they finally found Him, they responded with joy, worship, and gifts. This is so different from the approach people often take today. We expect God to come looking for us, to explain Himself, to prove who He is and give us gifts. But those who are wise still seek and worship Jesus today, not for what they can get, but for who He is” (LASB commentary note on Matthew 2:1,2).
The second lesson we find is one of generosity or giving. Their tangible gifts, alongside their faith, and worship honored the Lord and brought them great joy! Again the Life Application Study Bible sums it up by telling us that “the Magi brought gifts and worshipped Jesus for who He was. This is the essence of true worship--honoring Christ for who He is and being willing to give Him what is valuable to you” (commentary on Matthew 2:11). The gifts the wise men choose to present to Jesus signify their belief in His ability and who He claimed to be. We can also choose to give of ourselves and show the hurting world around us that joy is not found in circumstances, but in the hope of Jesus.
The third lesson we can learn from the wise men is that an encounter with God changes things. The Bible says, “they magi left...another way.” As we seek the Lord and worship Him, our lives will be transformed and we will begin to go another way. Time spent with the Lord has the power to change us if we allow it and it all starts with a posture of seeking, giving and receiving.
As I said, this Christmas season has been a lot about gifts for me. I was blessed to have so many of you give me special things and moments this year, as well as the revelation about what the wise men in the Christmas story can teach us. These things combined reminded me that God is at work all around us. He truly is Immanuel-God with us. And I believe this idea of gifts is what God desires of us in this next season of our lives. I believe He wants us to give-give our time, our hearts, our worship, our thoughts, and our lives to Him and to others. We have an abundance of opportunities every single day. I’ve seen that firsthand this year and beyond that, I want to be able to do that for someone else. I want to be more intentional as I give the gifts of inviting others, being generous, encouraging those in my life, being a better friend, spending quality time, spreading hope, inspiring courage, spurring perseverance, bringing wonder, having a heart of expectancy and above all else loving better. The wise men modeled the way to honor Jesus through their actions of seeking, giving and being transformed. Let us do the same!
Merry Christmas 2019!
-Only Hope
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