Christmas is right around the corner! The kids are super excited. Parents are super stressed. The stores are all absolutely insane! Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la la (I think I got my La’s right)! Your list of things to do and buy just seems to keep getting longer! But, there’s someone very special who tends to get pushed further down on the list the busier we get. Jesus! The reason for the season! With all the hustling and bustling, sometimes it’s nice to slow down and remember the miracle that happened over 2000 years ago. Let’s work on keeping Christmas for Christ!
I know that I’ve been guilty of turning grinchy around Christmas time. The stress tends to get the best of me and I’ve even said, “I hate Christmas.” There are so many expectations of us to be everywhere and do everything. Every day of December is full to the brim with Christmas activities. Sometimes, it can be a little too much!
I’ve even fallen into the cookie exchange trap before. Baking and cookies are both things I love. This should be a win-win, right? Well, I’m also a procrastinator and an over-achiever. So, when I’m drizzling chocolate on my fifth of the 12 dozen required cookies at 1 AM the morning of the cookie exchange, I can promise you that I am not filled with joy. There are plenty of people out there who love cookie exchanges. If that’s you, that’s great and I’m happy for you! I am not, nor will I ever be that person. And that’s okay! There is nowhere in the Bible that says we have to partake in the activities that cause us unnecessary stress.
When Did It All Get So Stressful?
Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves? It’s like we compete with ourselves to outdo last year’s Christmas. Christmas is supposed to be a day of extreme joy as we remember the birth of Jesus. But, somehow it’s turned into this commercialized circus. Our light displays have to be bigger and brighter. Christmas gifts have to be more thoughtful. Oh, and homemade. And somehow…more expensive. The holiday dinners have to be Gordon Ramsey quality. The cookies better be Pinterest-worthy, especially if we have to make a million of them for the school bake sale or school party.
Again, I’m not shaming you if you like to challenge yourself as long as it’s not stressful for you. The words associated with Christmas are usually joy, peace, and hope. Stressed, broke, and miserable are not. If it brings you joy, have at it. But, if it makes your anxiety skyrocket, allow yourself to scale back.
When we shift our focus a bit to think about the true story of Christmas, where does all the hoopla fit in? When we try to keep Christmas for Christ, that allows us to focus on the wonder of the miracle, one of us Christians’ best and most joyous stories. God sent His Son to save us. He continues to save us, every single day.
Please know I'm not trying to ruin your Christmas
Here comes one more disclaimer, and then I’ll stop. I promise I am not trying to make you feel guilty or shamed about the way you do Christmas. The last thing I want is to take any joy away from you or your family. Christmas is a deeply personal time that is just as deeply rooted in family traditions. The gumdrop tree my parents did for my siblings and me growing up had nothing to do with Jesus. But it’s still one of my favorite childhood memories. Now that I’m a parent, I love giving my kids Christmas gifts. I love that Santa visits and fills their stockings. There is nothing that I’m asking you to give up except stress and misery on a day that’s supposed to be a holiday of pure joy and love.
One more caveat, there are going to be some years when it’s impossible to be filled with joy on Christmas. We’ve all heard those tragic stories of death right around this time. If you’re suffering from the loss of a loved one, please be sure to read my post on grief during the holidays. Please remember that God loves you and He will help you through your grief. I’m so very sorry for your loss.
Simple Ways to Make Christmas for Christ
For this post, I went to openthebible.org and found an article by Kevin Halloran about incorporating Jesus more into our celebrations. I’m going to talk about a few here, but please check the link! There are so many wonderful ideas!
Read the real Christmas story
Go straight to the source! Read the beginning of the New Testament in your Bible to remind yourself and your family of that incredible story. It’s a story that started with a promise that God had made Abraham 500 years before. From the family of Abraham would come a gift for the entire world. Can you imagine what that must have been like to live during that time? A baby born to a virgin that will be our Lord and Savior! Simply reading that story can get you into the mindset of keeping Christmas for Christ.
Listen to holy songs
There are probably a million Christmas songs out there. There are songs that are cute, romantic, silly, and a few that are just plain weird. But, the best ones are those that show the joy of Jesus coming into this world. O Holy Night, Do You Hear What I Hear, Silent Night, and Mary Did You Know are all songs that never fail to fill my heart with the incredible joy of this magical time.
Don't focus so much on gifts
Materialism is something I’m sure we’ve all fallen victim to. I know I have. Who doesn’t get at least a little excited when there’s a gift with their name on the tag? While it’s fun receiving gifts, Christmas is so much more! There was never a gift so incredible as the one God gave us when He sent Jesus.
If you’re a parent, be sure to reiterate this with your kids. On the way home from school the other day, a Christmas song came on the radio by Daffy Duck and how all he wanted for Christmas was “more, More, MORE!” My kids and I had a brief conversation about how getting gifts is great, but giving is much more fun. Since both kids are in school now, they both got to go to Santa’s Secret Shop, where they got to pick out their gifts for people. And while they are very excited to see what gifts they get, they’re both even more excited for us to open the gifts they got us. We talked about how giving can be much better than getting. And I said, “I’m very glad that neither of you are as selfish as Daffy Duck” (To which my kids replied, “We don’t even know who that is.” Ouch).
Give back
Remember that Jesus was sent here to save us. He never expected to be treated like royalty. All He wanted to do was to share His love with us and teach us how to love others. What better time to show love to our fellow humans than Christmas? Help out at a soup kitchen, donate clothes or toys, give money to charities, or simply just be kind to those around us. Give random compliments to people and watch their faces light up. Love each other.
Get your kids involved, too. Have them play Santa and pick out a few of their toys that they no longer play with to donate. They could write cards to the elderly in nursing homes or the soldiers serving overseas. Make blessings bags for the homeless. There are so many ways to make Christmas for Christ by spreading love and kindness.
Merry Christmas to All
Be sure that you’re making your Christmas about Jesus and those that are important to you. Allow yourself to give up the stress. I can’t tell you how lovely it is to not have a cookie exchange to prepare for, but to make a few cookies with my sister and our kids. Whatever it is that’s keeping you from enjoying this Christmas season, get rid of it. Allow the joy to sink in. Making Christmas for Christ simply means including Him in your celebrations. It really is the most wonderful time of the year. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
~All my love!