Ever since I was very young our family would set up a manger scene at Christmastime. Our's was made from carved olive wood from the Holy Land. Mary, Joseph and the sweet little baby Jesus were surrounded by animals and shepherds, one of which had a chunk missing from his head. But there were also these three other obscure individuals that somehow also made it into the Nativity scene--- the Wise Men.
We don't really know much about these guys other than they are “of Orient are” and somehow followed a star to find the infant Messiah who was laid in a feeding trough. .
According to Matthew 2:11 they came searching for the newborn King of the Jews. They were looking for hope. They were seeking the Messiah who was promised to come. And they came bearing gifts. They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
It's interesting that these Magi were briefly mentioned in just one of the four Gospels, yet they have become such an integral part of the story of Jesus. Why is that? Probably because they came bearing gifts.
As a tech director you are also a wise person (or at the very least, a wise guy). Sometimes it's easy to feel like we just play a side role in the grand scheme of things at your church. But each of us has a special gift to bring to our Savior. Each of us has a special role to play.
Tech directors and teams aren't usually the ones in the spotlight...they are the ones running the spotlight. And it's easy to minimize the gifts that we bring. We fall into the trap of thinking that the “real” gifts are the ones that are on stage singing, playing an instrument or preaching. But your gift is just as important. You are bringing your wisdom, your creativity and your attention to detail as a gift to the Savior. Sometimes we get caught up in thinking that our gifts are not as valuable and that maybe other people are looking down on our contribution. Honestly, it doesn't matter what other people think about the gift that you are bringing as long as you are bringing the best that you can personally bring.
The three Wise Men brought gifts that were fit for a king. They brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. What gifts are you bringing to the King? Are you bringing your very best and offering it to Him? Or do you look down on your gifts and abilities and make the wrong assumption that they aren't meaningful to Him?
The interesting thing about gifts is this: God is the one that gave us these gifts in the first place. Our response then is simply to bring the gifts back to Him. We put them to use for His glory and honor. When we do this we are bringing Christ a gift that is just as valuable as the precious metals and spices brought by the Eastern-dwelling Magi.
This Christmas take a cue from the Wise Men and bring the Savior your very best.
