I've always been fascinated by the star of Bethlehem.

As a small child, I remember hearing the story of Jesus' birth on Christmas Eve, then anxiously waiting to get outside so that I too could see the star. It was a magical star, it seemed. A star unlike any other star before. I mean, a star that suddenly appeared in the sky and led people across desert plains and strange lands to...a child in a manger? The story was incredible. And, unfortunately, one that tended to stay with me on Christmas Eve, but pass quickly as I moved on to more enticing parts of the holiday.

As I've grown, I've remained fascinated by this star. How was it that it led people to the revelation of the Christ child? Was it a blazing beacon in the sky? Did it lie low, just out of reach so that the direction was clear? Or did it sit in an obvious place of honor so that all who saw it were at once drawn to it?

Stars are said to be millions of years old, so the same stars we see in our skies today are likely the ones the Magi saw. On a clear night, the sky is remarkably full. How was it that they picked the right one?  Even more incredible, how did they have the courage and conviction to leave everything and everyone behind to follow it?

In many ways, Christmas is the same today as it was over 2000 years ago: a lost world searches for a savior and hopes for a sign that will lead us to him.  But there are so many stars in the sky from which to choose. So many beautiful, sparkly things that would otherwise grab our attention and avert us from the One we long for the most.

Which star has caught your eye of late? Money...popularity...good looks...fame?  Or are the stars a smaller variety and simply less noticeable like busyness, self-reliance, or time constraints?

With the world full of so many stars fighting for our attention, it is easy to allow our vision to become clouded, and it's hard to discern the right one. Harder still is it to pick the right one, be certain of it, then make a conscious choice to put it in a place of honor. A place that can't be compared to where the others sit.

As Christmas nears, now is a wonderful time to look back on the past year and think about the stars we've chosen to follow...to sift through the things that have caught our attention so that we can move them to the side and focus on the One who most deserves our attention - the One who longs to have it.

Renew your heart and your focus this Christmas to again put Christ at the chosen place of honor in your life. Because it is only then that we can reach once more, in childlike wonder, towards the true Star of Bethlehem and be touched and transformed in return by Him.

Laura Polk is a wife and mother of three who has a passion for teaching young women that God is in the details of their lives. She has contributed to various magazines, websites and blogs and is currently working on a YA novel. While contributing to other ministries, she is building one of her own through a tween website that targets girls ages 8-11. Check out her blog or watch her website grow.