Wealthy folks know the kind of gift that can be fashioned into maximum reward.
One of the foremost is any skill, plan or investment that multiplies wealth.
But, the affluent also know that material wealth is no barrier to despair.
That’s why intrigue peaks this time of year around the Magi who ventured thousands of miles to the first Christmas.
They found four gifts that add up to prosperity and satisfaction.
Gift #1: Schedule the astonishing by taking time off
The Magi took a big risk to seek the astonishing.
It was at least a two year journey if not longer.
Surely, they deemed this venture unrealistic.
- Follow a star?
- Launch a trip to an uncertain destination?
Listen to the founder of CAA, a leading talent and sporting agency for many years.
“I see now that I could have worked as much as 20 percent less, and it wouldn’t have cost me. If I’d worked even 10 percent less, across thirty years, that’s three whole extra years of life I’d have enjoyed.” Michael Ovitz
“Type A” personalities easily succumb to the mirage of blind ambition and it ends up costing time and valuable relationships in their…
- faith
- family
- friends
“When I started building those kinds of [other business] relationships, I didn’t realize I was sacrificing relationships that were actually more important to me, because I was completely engrossed in what I was doing. I wish I [had a close adviser to caution me], but I didn’t.” Michael Ovitz
Gift #2: Use questions for better direction
Perhaps the hardest gift to accept is advice. Even harder, seek it.
But, it starts by asking questions.
The Magi, opened the door to wealth with one question.
“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.” Matthew 2:2
Their question led to an audience with Herod, an unlikely source.
My gifted artist mother-in-law calls this a “happy accident.”
Herod confirmed the next step in their quest for real gold. Lasting gold. Gold that held…
- life
- energy
- power
“Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.’ 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. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” Matthew 2:7-9
Gift #3: Friends with divine encounters
I imagined the Magi (specialists in astronomy at that time) back at home in the Caspian Country Club chatting with their buddies in the 19th hole.
Their friends asked where they’d been and what they’d done.
“We had a fantastic time! It was just unbelievable!”
“Tell us about it! You went to see a King! Tell us about his palace!”
“Well,” they looked at each other with that smile that goes on between people who’ve shared an experience that’s hard to put into words, “Well, to tell you the truth, it’s kind of hard to describe it, uh…”
“Well, was it a big house, what was it?”
“Well…no…to tell you the truth…it was uh…well we gotta be honest with you, it was a stable.”
“A stable? You mean the king was out there looking at his horses.”
“Oh no, he lived there.”
“A king in a stable? Well he must have been impressive some other way to legitimize this kingship. Tell us about his mind, his accomplishments, his possessions!”
“Well, it’s a little difficult to describe…but, he was a baby.”
“A baby? He must have remarkable parents!”
“Well, there’s a problem there too. Uh, we’re not sure about that.”
“You mean to tell us…I mean, we’re your friends. We’ve known you guys forever! You traveled thousands of miles, two years to get there and back and you gave gold and frankincense and myrrh to a baby in a stable? You’re crazy!”
And they looked at each other and said, “Well, you just had to be there. It didn’t bother us that it was a stable or a baby. There was…
- light
- warmth
- and life like we had never experienced before.
Gift #4: The battery to make it all work
We easily suffer the loss of relationships in all of the goofy sideshows of…
- business
- politics
Nothing wrong with these as pursuits.
But, they don’t have the light or the power to make it all work.
They don’t have someone to make it all work.
Our culture is like an automobile without a battery.
It’s big, bright, shiny and beautiful but with no internal combustion.
So, we get out and push and push and a few people will ride and then they’ll switch places and then we’ll push some more and make a little head way and we think we’re making progress.
But, we don’t have any inner light until we meet the Person.
When the light shines, suddenly knowledge and values and information and motivation all work together and the power is on.
Like the maji, look ahead this Christmas for . . .
- the astonishing
- the “happy accident”
- divine encounters
- the Person who makes it work
What are your thoughts about faith, family and friends this holiday season?