Words of Faith: Give Jesus the gift of your heart

Gold, frankincense and myrrh – gifts fit for a king.

Wise men from the far East arrived in Jerusalem bringing gifts for the newborn king of Israel. They had observed a star which they believed signified the birth of a new king. So they followed the star which led them to Israel. First, the star led them to Jerusalem and then on to Bethlehem, not far away. These wise men traveled with hope – hope that this new king would be a great leader, hope that he would change the world.

They probably didn’t fully understand the implication of this revelation, but they had experienced the grace of God. And when God’s grace is encountered, the natural response is to worship. When the wise men entered the house and saw Mary and the baby Jesus, their natural response was to kneel down and pay him homage – to worship him. And as a sign of their homage – they gave gifts to the baby – the best gifts that they could afford, gifts fit for a king – gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Like the wise men, we also experience the grace of Jesus Christ.

We experience his grace when we hear his word speak to our heart and directs our lives, when we receive his forgiveness for sins that would otherwise be unforgivable, when our lives are blessed by those who serve in his name. We have experienced the grace of Jesus Christ and like the wise men, we want to respond by worshiping our Lord, by worshiping and by giving him a gift, the best that we have. But sometimes we feel that we have nothing to give our Lord. We feel that we have nothing fit for a king.

I have always loved the song “The Little Drummer Boy.” Though fictitious, it tells a touching story about a boy who is invited by those wise men to go with them to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. He knows that the wise men are bringing their finest gifts to this baby. But when he arrives, he has no gift. Then he realizes that he does have a gift. He then gives to the baby Jesus the best that he has – his ability to make music, to play the drum.

The most important gift that we can give to Jesus is ourselves: our hearts, our time, our talents and energy. The best gifts involve taking what we have been given and giving it back to God. Sometimes these gifts will be measured in financial terms if that is what we have been given. But the gifts that we can give back can also be measured in terms of time, skill and talent.

For those who have a love for children and an ability to relate to them, giving a gift to Jesus may mean teaching or caring for children. For those who have an interest in other people, who enjoy listening to others, who have a compassionate heart, giving a gift to Jesus may mean listening to one who is sick, or grieving or lonely. For those who have a special concern for those who are in economic need, giving a gift to Jesus may mean helping those in need get the basic necessities of life.

Like with the little drummer boy, it means looking at what we already have – skills, interests, passions. It means asking questions like “What resources do I have?” “What am I good at?” “What do I enjoy doing?” Then it means finding ways to use these skills and interests to serve Jesus. When we do, we give Jesus a gift. And this gift is just as valuable as gold, frankincense, or myrrh.

Actually it is more valuable. Because when we give from the heart, we give him our lives.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Words of Faith: Give Jesus the gift of your heart."