What Will We Carry? Thoughts on the Gifts we present to Jesus.

What Will We Carry?

A Devotional Reflection on the Wise Men

Pastor Calvin Cook

January 2, 2025

Each year at this same time we return to the story of the Wise Men. Travelers from afar who followed a star, carrying gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were not random offerings. They were intentional, costly, and symbolic. They represented their life and the place that they had come with. They were more than gifts that spoke of honor, worship, and sacrifice. And as I sit with that story, I find myself realizing how much we are like them.

Like the Wise Men, we already have much. The doorway to education and learning stands wide open before us. Knowledge is accessible. Wisdom is within reach. We have the support of family and friends, people willing to walk with us, encourage us, and even journey alongside us through difficult seasons. We possess the ability to reason, to discern right from wrong, to make choices that shape our lives and the lives of others.

And yet, just like the Wise Men, we are still searching. Having everything these noble men of privilege were still searching. They hadn’t found what they were looking for.

The question that circulates in my heart is this: What are we searching for? And even more importantly, does it truly matter? Life gives us limited space as we travel from one season to the next. We cannot carry everything. Choices must be made. What we pick up, what we hold onto, and what we lay down will determine not only how we live, but what we ultimately present to God.

The Wise Men chose to carry gifts worthy of Jesus. They did not arrive empty-handed. They brought what reflected both who they were and what they believed. That causes me to pause and ask: What am I carrying that I will one day place before God as an offering? Is it worthy of building His Kingdom? Is it shaped by faith, or by fear? Is it rooted in love, or weighed down by regret?

In my prayerful reflection, I sense God inviting me to carry what He has already given me the fruit of the Spirit. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. These are gifts meant not only to be received but carried forward and offered back to God through how we live.

But to carry these things, I must leave some things behind. I cannot carry bitterness and love at the same time. I cannot hold onto anxiety and walk in peace. I cannot cling to control and grow in trust. The journey requires discernment and surrender.

So, I find myself asking: What is worthy of my focus? What is it that is worth living with? What will I carry into the next chapter of life and present as a gift to God for all the world to see?

May we choose wisely. May we travel lightly. And may what we carry reflect the King we seek.