12 Days of Anticipation: Day 11 Giving Gifts

Day 11- Giving Gifts

And now we come to the one part of the Christmas story that society has taken hold of- presents! The idea of giving gifts came from the three gifts that the wise men gave to Jesus as a young child- gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These were not the typical gifts given to a child, but each one represents who Jesus is. The gold is the gift for a King, and Jesus is the King of Kings. Frankincense was an incense burned at the temple as a sacrifice to God, showing that Jesus is God. And myrrh was an oil used in embalming dead bodies- it foreshadowed the death that Jesus would undergo to forgive our sins. While it may seem that the wise men were the ones giving the gifts, it turns out that their gifts only reflected the true gift that was given- Jesus coming to earth.

Society has turned Christmas into a consumer holiday marked by all time highs for shopping with an emphasis on giving that perfect gift to everyone on your list, and not forgetting to buy for yourself along the way. But really, Christmas was always meant to be about giving, not buying. God gave us the greatest gift, and we can share what we have with others because of that gift. We can give gifts of time, attention, compassion, joy, patience, resources, energy, talents, and so much more. We should give all of ourselves to those around us every day of the year because God gave us his only son, and Jesus gave us His life so that we could have life in Him. WHat do we have that doesn't come from him? Could we ever outgive what God has blessed us with? Do we really have a right to anything that we consider ours? We are only stewards, charged with the task of taking what we are given and passing it out. If we take what we are given to only give to ourselves, we miss out on the purpose that God has for us.

What are some things that you can give this year?
In what ways do you find yourself believing that what God has given you is for you?
Take some time to thank God the gift of His Son for us.

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12 Days of Anticipation: Day 10 Wise Men Seek Him

Day 10- Wise Men Seek Him

The "wise men" were exactly that- a group of academics who studied the stars, an ancient group of scholars constantly searching their scrolls and expanding their knowledge. They had read the prophesies and they knew the signs. When a new star appeared in the sky, they didn't waste time hypothesizing or making attempts to find a scientific explanation or seeing what other sources had to say- they knew that it announced the birth of the new king of the Jews. They followed the star in faith that it would lead them to the site of the birth of this important new king.

On a modern-day list of sought after character traits, wisdom seems to be losing ground. Our society affirms and rewards those who cultivate self-esteem, assertiveness, and independence. The wisdom of the Bible seems to contradict a lot of the motivation behind today's leaders. The book of Proverbs is filled with tips for acting with wisdom rather than foolishness, but sometimes we tend to encourage acting the exact opposite!

Here are a few examples:

Proverbs 1:7
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."- We pride ourselves in hiding and getting away with sin, while the wise fear the Lord.

Proverbs 29:11

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control."- We find it important to stand up for ourselves, putting the defense of our own pride ahead of self-control.

Proverbs 14:16
"One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless."

- YOLO- need I say more?

Proverbs 29:7

"A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge."

- Any human injustice, racism, classism, gender bias, etc. all stem from a lack of wisdom.

Proverbs 21:20

"Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man's dwelling, but a foolish man devours it."

- We live by credit, borrowing what we don't have to buy what we don't need.

The wise men used their knowledge to continue their life-long quest for what mattered most to them- wisdom. It is not surprising that the end of their search brought them to Jesus, the source of all true wisdom. We have thousands of voices speaking into our lives everyday- ads, social media, coworkers, music, movies, tv, family, friends, etc. We need to make an effort to balance out these messages with truth by seeking the source of wisdom everyday- Jesus Christ.

Would you say that wisdom is a character trait that you value and foster in your life?
How does the Bible's wisdom contradict with the trends in our society?
In what ways have you believed and acted on the world's wisdom rather than God's?
How can you seek and develop a personal relationship with Jesus on a daily basis to be in touch with His wisdom?

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