“A
Christmas miracle is when your family doesn’t get into a single argument all
day.” Melanie White
For some reason, no other holiday seems to
bring out the worst in us than Christmas. Hopefully…obviously, the number one
way to keep Christ in your Christmas
celebrations is to have Him present in your daily life and not just at
Christmas. As believers, keeping Christ in Christmas is more about the way we live
our lives than any of the things that we say—such as “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy
Holidays.” Keeping Jesus in Christmas means living moment by moment in the
power of the Spirit revealing the character, love and spirit of Christ that
dwells in us, allowing these traits to shine through your actions. Probably,
none of us this will be new, yet they’re good reminders to help us keep Christ
the central focus of our lives this Christmas season, after all, it is OUR
holiday. What other time of year
can we walk into stores or the mall and hear music directing us to worship
Christ the Lord? When else can we stroll through offices and see strings of
cards depicting nativity scenes? Let’s be wise and take advantage of these
seasonal opportunities, keeping our focus on Christ and sharing the gospel in
the process.
* Find a devotional guide or take the time to
plan out a Bible reading schedule to carry you through Christmastime with daily
meditations on Christ’s advent, incarnation, virgin birth, and Davidic lineage.
If you haven’t already, memorize the Christmas story in Luke 2.
* Pray. Make
a list of the people in your life who need the Savior. Pray for them and ask the
Lord to give you opportunities to share with them.
* Have a
family meeting. Talk about the fact that the Prince of Peace has come and
you’re committed to having His peace in your home this season. Be honest about
changes in the schedule with school out, late nights or extra activities.
Enlist the whole family as an army of peacemakers.
* Correspond.
Include the gospel in annual Christmas letters. Choose cards with a message, or
consider making your own. If you have young children, this might be a great
family activity. If you support a child through an organization like World
Vision or Compassion International, tuck in some Christmas-themed stickers with
your greeting card.
* Decorate.
Let your Christmas tree serve as a reminder that Christ hung on a tree so that
one day we might be invited to eat freely from the Tree of Life. You might place
your crèche in a central location, yet leave the cradle empty until Christmas
morning—when you make a grand celebration of the baby’s arrival.
* Invite.
Ask unchurched friends to join you in attending a Christmas production. Invite neighbors
over for dinner and share what Christmas means to you. Take a child shopping
with you to buy toys for underprivileged kids. Adopt a family that is
struggling that you can be a blessing to. Be extra generous in your tip (and
attitude) when you’re out to eat with the servers. Sometimes when we’re out,
our family has looked for an individual or family who’s also there, and anonymously
paid their bill.
* Give
wisely. For the people on your Christmas list, select gifts with eternity in
view. Consider giving books, music, videos, subscriptions or even tickets to
special events that will encourage each recipient in his or her relationship
with Christ.
* Give of
yourself. USA Today reports that 30%
of Americans spend $750 or more on Christmas presents. 19% say they’ll shell
out over $500 for gifts, and 22% will buy $250 worth of stuff. A mere 8% expect
Christmas spending to be less than $100. Instead of laying out so much cash
consider meaningful gifts you can create. Make a gift certificate for three hours
of free childcare for a friend or neighbor. Write your life story—including
your personal testimony—and give copies to your children or grandchildren. Have
your parents’ home movies transferred to video or disk and give copies to the
whole family. Give an old family recipe in a basket full of all the
ingredients. Record yourself reading a favorite Bible story and send it to your
grandkids.
* Give food.
Take a basket of Christmas dinner food to someone in need. If you have
children, take them with you and talk about the One who said, “It’s better to give than to receive.”
* Take the
whole family and carol a shut-in or elderly person who has difficulty going out
during the winter. You could even encourage another family to join you, and go
out for hot chocolate afterwards.
* Clean out attic
or closets. If you have extra bedding, pillowcases, or coats, take them to a
place like the Milwaukee Rescue Mission that ministers to the homeless. Rather
than saving it all for later, put it to a good use now.
* Invest. If
people ask what you want for Christmas, provide the name of your church or some
other favorite charity and ask them to make a donation, instead of buying you
another ugly sweater.
* Spend time
visiting shut-ins or teaching literacy. Build bridges so you can cross them to
share Christ’s love. Please don’t limit yourself to Christian charities—your
work in a secular setting could provide you with opportunities to share with
other volunteers who might never go to church.
* Give a surprise gift of service to each member of your
family. Jesus taught us to serve by washing the disciples’ feet. The idea of
giving an unexpected gift of service to members of your family demonstrates
both Christ-like love and service. Maybe give a back rub to your spouse, run an
errand for your brother, or clean out a closet for your mother. Make it
personal and meaningful, and watch the blessings multiply.
* Set aside a time for family devotions on Christmas Eve
or Christmas morning. Before opening the gifts, take a few minutes to gather
together as a family in prayer and devotions. Read the Christmas story again in
Scripture. Perhaps have each family member read a portion. Then, take some time
and discuss as a family the true meaning of Christmas.
* Attend one of the Grace Church’s Christmas Eve
Services together with your family. If you’re alone this Christmas or don’t
have family living near you, invite a friend or a neighbor to join you.
Please plan now for a peace-filled, joyful
holiday, before the craziness of the Christmas season consumes you and choose to
truly keep Christ in Christmas this year!
Looking for quality used Christian books and other types of books at prices lower than even Amazon. Check out our family's online used bookstore at resurrectedreads.com or visit our store at the Waterford Unique Antique Market at 209 North Milwaukee Street in Waterford, WI -- .
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