Every year, I start the Christmas season with good intentions. I put out the manager, fill our book basket with stories of Jesus’ birth, carefully place our Advent wreath on the table, and grab my favorite Christmas devotional. Yet, after a few days, my high hopes of keeping Christ the main priority of Christmas are quickly dashed with the hustle and bustle of the season. On the outside, it would appear that we are taking care to center our celebrations around Christmas, but looking inside, our hearts and minds tell a different story.
We rush through our daily Advent reading to search for the elf, wondering what treats they bought today. We check our watches during Sunday service, eager to get to lunch with Santa. We make the cookies and sing the carols at the nursing home, but the whole time, we are thinking of when we will be finished to get comfortable and watch Christmas movies. We are good at looking the part, going through the motions, and checking all the right “Christian Christmas” boxes. But this year, I pray that we will keep Christ at the center of Christmas in our hearts and actions.
Here Are 3 Ways to Keep Christ at the Center of Christmas:
1. Start Each Day in the Scriptures
A few years ago, I turned a closet into my prayer room. My husband built me a few shelves, which I lined with Bibles, commentaries, and devotionals. We found a small desk at a thrift store and added a comfortable chair, a candle, a cup of pens, my notebook, and a viola! The hope was that if I had a special place to go to read and study my Bible, I would follow through with my daily commitment to get into God’s Word.
For the most part, having this room specifically for Bible study helped me consistently meet with God. Until the calendar flips to December and late night gatherings, early mornings getting ready for school plays and events, and just general busyness, this room often gets turned into storage for gifts and wrapping paper.
I understand you can read your Bible at any time of the day; I very much acknowledge that not everyone is an early riser. However, when we schedule time first thing in the morning to meditate on Scripture and pray to God, we ensure it gets done. We always want to guard ourselves from a check-list view of Christianity, but sometimes we need a bit of encouragement to help get us in the habit of meeting with God.
Reading God’s word before we do anything else helps set the tone for our day, hiding God’s words in our hearts and renewing our minds. This is a good practice all year around, especially during Christmas. As we read the Gospels, we remind ourselves why we celebrate. We fill our minds with the glorious good news of our Savior, Jesus, and cling to the truth that one day, those who believe in Jesus will be with Him for all eternity.
2. Mediate on One Verse for December
I am grateful that we have such loving, godly friends and family who love our girls and play a vital role in their spiritual health. Inevitably, we will receive a pack of Advent cards, Christmas Bible verses, or a devotional preparing our hearts for Advent each year. These are all beautiful resources; we are thankful for each gift shared with our family.
However, it can quickly become overwhelming as we try to go through each box, finish each calendar, and read each book. I hate to admit it, but in the last few years, floundering to keep up, I stopped trying altogether. This year, we are still choosing to put out all the resources, but instead of trying to complete them all, we are each picking one verse to meditate on this season.
There are five people in our family; each person picks a verse and shares it. It doesn’t have to be Scripture that speaks specifically to Advent or the Christmas story, but one that helps us to stay focused on Christ. Choosing one verse allows us to focus our energy and is manageable, guaranteeing we will stick with it throughout the month.
3. Focus on Sacrificing for Others
I read an article last year about a family who decided to go without presents and Christmas celebrations and opted instead to purchase gifts and serve others during the holiday season. Many people will pluck an angel from a tree with a child’s wish list, plop some change into a red bucket, or place a toy or toy in a box this Christmas. Others might adopt a child from a school, fill a family’s Christmas needs, or serve a meal at a local shelter. But at what cost to us?
What was so unique and awe-inspiring to me was that this family didn’t give their time and money out of abundance but sacrificed their Christmas for others. It’s terrific for us to help those in need, especially during the holiday season, but how often do I give because I know that my wants and desires will still be met? For me, this tends to be the case.
I am not as eager when I have to give at a cost to me. My family has not chosen to follow the path of the one above, but I hope that eventually, we can get there, at least some version of forgoing gifts or giving up our Christmas mornings to serve others. When we think about ways we sacrifice for those around us to meet the physical needs of our communities, we can’t think about Jesus, and He meets our spiritual needs.
Jesus sacrificed His life so that we, undeserving sinners, can have eternal life. Salvation is a gift to us, but it cost Jesus His life. Keeping this at the forefront of our thoughts and hiding this truth deep in our hearts will drive us to keep Christ at the center of Christmas all year round.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/maximkabb
Laura Bailey is an author and Bible teacher who encourages women to understand what they believe, why it matters, and how to apply biblical truths to their lives. Her recent book, Embracing Eternity in the Here and Now, explores how the timeless truths of Ecclesiastes help us live more peaceful, purposeful, and plentiful lives today.
She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com