There are so many amazing storylines in the biblical Christmas narratives. One of my favorites is that of the Wise Men. The mere study of their story is always a reminder to me to pray for wisdom. God has given us the ability to make wise choices — if we seek Him and His ways. Scripture is our guiding “star” and if we follow His teachings we will find both what we are looking for and what we need. Praying for wisdom is always a great prayer to pray.
I am impressed by at least three “heart acts” evidenced by the Wise Men. By heart acts I’m referring to activities of the heart and mind and soul. The Wise Men speak to me about three sincere activities of the heart that I want to always be true for me:
- SEEK: Today, wise men still seek Christ. The ancient Wise Men had heard of the Christ-child and were following the Star. My prayer for you and me is that we will seek after Christ. Not so He will bless our ideas and provide our wants, but more so that we will learn of His desires and fulfill His wants. To seek after Jesus and pursue His will must always be our primary purpose in life. My desire is to become the person He wants me to be and to live out the purposes He has for me.
- STUDY: The biblical Wise Men were students of the stars; they were astrologers really. But the Star over Bethlehem was no ordinary star. It was the Star that would lead them to Jesus! We study many things in life; there are so many voices, so many people, so much information…. If we are not careful we will be inundated with more and more and we will miss the most important. To be truly wise, as God desires, we must study the Word of God and the ways of Christ. A great question I like to pose to myself regularly is, “Am I studying scripture and the Jesus-life as much as other things in my life?” The Bible encourages us to “study to show ourselves approved.” That’s a great challenge and a wise course to take.
- SURRENDER: Soul surrender is crucial if we are going to find the Savior. We need to submit our hearts, minds, and souls to Him. We need to pray daily, “Not my will but Yours be done.” Surrender is hard for us because we all want to be in control. We want to do it our way. What would happen if you and I surrendered more and more of our lives to Jesus? What would it mean to surrender more areas of our lives to Him specifically? What “parts” of our lives are basically off limits to Christ? And where do we fight to rule and be lord of our own lives? Submitting to Christ and surrendering to His ways and will is a wise “heart action” and one that we need to pray about each day.
May we grow in wisdom this Christmas season and throughout the year as we grow in seeking Christ, studying His ways and His Word, and purposefully surrender each area of our lives more fully to Him.