Stargazing

Ever wish you were a star?  Somewhere along our lives, the thought has crossed most of our minds.  We hope to throw (or catch) the touchdown pass, make the basket, hit the homer, win the championship, wear the medal, own the stage, sing the song, write the script, or somehow achieve something so big and so bright that for a moment or more, we capture the attention of others and cause them to look our way.  But why?  In this season where glowing stars top trees and towers all over town, I’ve been thinking about what it means to shine. 

The Christmas star is a good place to start.  The Magi arrived in Jerusalem because a special star had appeared in the sky.  “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?  We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him”(Matt 2:2).  To the Wise Men, this star was a brilliant sign.  Its light signified new life—a life so precious and important that they changed their schedules and altered their lives for a trip to a foreign land.  Armed with seeking hearts and worthy treasures, they headed to the palace to see the King. 

But no baby was to be found, and they were sent on their way by a suspicious tyrant and scripture-spouting teachers.   “Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me”(Matt 2:8).  As they turned their camels south, the star showed back up.  “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was”(Matt2:9).  The star, whose light had gotten them going, now became their guide, and the journey brought great delight.  “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed”(Matt 2:10), and when it led them to Jesus, they gladly offered themselves and then their stuff to the One who is worthy. 

The star of Christmas did what stars do best—give light, guide, and bring glory to the One who made them.  No wonder you’ve wished to be a star—that’s what you were designed to be—“Children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life”(Phil 2:15-16).  You were created in Christ to give light to a dark world, to guide the people who cross your path to Jesus, and to bring glory to the One who made you.  You words, actions, and attitudes should be so full of God that for a moment or more, they capture the attention of others.  “Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever”(Dan 12:3).

This Christmas, and beyond, be a star, but instead of seeking the spotlight, shine His light. Not so others will look at you, but so they will look for Him.