Lessons for wise (wo)men seeking Him – Part 1

It’s amazing how we can hear the story of Christmas year after year, and yet continue to learn new ways to apply it to our lives. This year, I’ve been struck by the lessons of the wise men. And yes, lessons from the wise men of old are equally applicable to the wise women of today – the wise women who still seek Him – the women of Christ.

1. The wise men said, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and are come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2).
   These wise men looked up to see the star – they knew what the sky looked like before and after. Indeed, they knew what they were looking for. They knew that when the sign appeared on that Holy Night, that it was their prompting to fulfill that which was their duty and honor – to go and worship the Christ child. They must have been sure that the sign was given, since you don’t go cross-country-camel-traveling to see someone on a whim or a wonder – no, they went on a mission.

   These wise men were on God’s errand. They knew the sacredness of their responsibility. They knew the significance of their journey. Wise women of today are also on God’s errand … for the errand of angels is given to women.

   Like the wise men of old, wise women today look up and fulfill their mission. They look up with their hearts, in order to feel the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will prompt us to fulfill our duty and honor – as we each have a divine mission to fulfill on this earth. Like the wise men of old, wise women of today recognize our divine mission and pay attention to divine promptings.

2. There’s a video below about the wise men that I love for its simplicity and silence. And while watching it, I was surprised to see the wise men traveling by day – the thought had never occurred to me before. Probably due to modern artwork, I envisioned the wise men venturing at night with their star two inches in front of them. Yet, without smoothly paved roads, (let alone lampposts, headlights or flashlights) it would be quite difficult and dangerous to travel at night in the vast wilderness. This means that the wise men did not have their sign visible when they were actually walking. They’d have to trust the Lord to direct their daylight path. Then, once the stars came out, I’m sure that each clear night they gave great care to checking their course (for even the wise need directions).

   Wise women need directions too, and our star is not always visible. That’s why wise women trust the Lord’s direction even when we can’t see everything clearly. It’s called faith. “Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore, if ye have faith, ye hope for things which are not seen but which are true” (Alma 32:21). Thankfully, faithful and wise women also know how to align ourselves and check our course – and do so with great care. Through prayer, scripture study weekly church attendance, and every tiny step of obedience, we can ensure that we’re walking on His path, toward Him.

3. The wise men faced uncomfortable situations in order to follow the prophet. Have you ever wondered why the wise men went to see King Herod? Couldn’t they have avoided that evil king? With God, all things are possible … so it is obvious that this too was part of The Plan. The wise men found themselves before tyrannical, powerful, intimidating, royalty and what they had to say was upsetting. Yet, the wise men were sent by God and knew that King Herod had access to God’s words (because in those days, the kings stored the prophetic records). They didn’t go to hear King Herod’s ideas of where to go next; they went to hear the prophet’s instructions. There are many who would like to tell today’s women what to do next, but we must only listen to our prophet (and ultimately our God). We may find ourselves in uncomfortable situations – facing the powerful and intimidating and upset – but wise women will seek and speak the messages from above, not the messages of man.

That’s not all …. But that’s all for now. I’ll post the second half soon! In the meantime, I’d love to hear the lessons you’re learning from the Christmas story. What stands out to you as you study the familiar and eternally-inspiring story of our Savior’s birth?