When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After 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.  ~ Matthew 2:10–11

What’s your most prized possession? The thing that you value more than any other?

What would it take to get you to give that up?

When you give a gift to Christ like this, it’s a way of saying, “The joy that I pursue (verse 10) is not the hope of getting rich with things from you. I have not come to you for your things, but for yourself. And this desire I now intensify and demonstrate by giving up things, in the hope of enjoying you more, not things. By giving to you what you do not need, and what I might enjoy, I am saying more earnestly and more authentically, ‘You are my treasure, not these things.’”

We may not give it much thought, but our worldly pursuits are often in direct opposition to God’s wishes because they distract us from our worship of Christ. It’s done either through the time we spend pursuing those “treasures” or in our inability to dedicate ourselves in service to HIM because we’re obsession over things that are meaningless in light of eternity.

 This is a personal reflection of today’s Advent devotion from Great News for Great Joy (download for free now from Desiring God). Please also share your reflections in the comments area.