Do you remember when you were young and went to a friend’s birthday party, eagerly waiting for the exciting moment when they’d open all their gifts? But there was often a younger sibling pouting in the corner. Why? Because they weren’t getting to open any presents—it wasn’t their birthday. I’ve seen this happen with my own kids, and let’s be honest: those loot bags we handed out at the end of the party just didn’t quite cut it, did they?

Just like gifts at birthdays sometimes complicate things, buying and receiving gifts (even though a great thing!) can easily overshadow the true meaning of Christmas. Sometimes we need a reminder of that. The Wise Men in the Christmas story teach us something important about giving. Scripture tells us that when the Wise Men found Jesus, they bowed down and worshiped him. That may seem a little unusual—have you ever been around a one-year-old and thought, “Hmm… I need to worship this child”?

But don’t miss this: the Wise Men knew this child was different. They knew that Someone special was coming. They recognized that Jesus was the Son of God, the one whom prophets had foretold hundreds of years earlier. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). In those days, these were among the most valuable and extravagant gifts a person could give. And in this one verse, we get the idea of giving gifts at Christmas.

This is what the Wise Men knew to do—they bowed down, worshiped Jesus, and presented him with gifts. In other words, when you worship someone, you bring them something of worth. What’s the number one question we ask those close to us at Christmas? It’s, “What do YOU want for Christmas?” That’s a good question, but what if we added a different kind of question this year? What if our focus was, “Jesus, what do you want for Christmas?”

I think the greatest gift you can give Jesus this Christmas… is YOU. What does that mean? It means giving your time, surrendering your life to him, trusting him, and putting your hope and faith in him. Following along with these daily devotionals is a great start—way to go! The Wise Men gave Jesus gifts, but they also gave their time, effort, and devotion. They invested more than just their treasures; they gave him their hearts.

Do you know what my favorite part of the story of the Wise Men is? It’s this: The Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem bearing treasures of this earth, but they left with the treasure of heaven in their hearts.  This is what we all want deep down. We were created to worship God, this is where our deepest longings will be filled. Gifts are wonderful, family and friends and gatherings are wonderful but they all fall short. They are all going to leave us longing for something deeper.