5 things to help keep Jesus at the centre this Christmas
With how much work it can be to put up Christmas decorations there’s a good chance you see Christmas lights and inflatables around your neighbourhood already. A neighbor two doors down has a display that keeps growing every year that he’s started to use part of his neighbours lawn!
Many of the inflatables are fun to look at when I go for a walk with my kids, but not one of them has anything to do with Jesus. And as I think about it, that’s what our kids see everyday during the Christmas season wherever they go -all kinds of fun, but little to no Jesus-.
As commercialism continues to invade our lives, we need to be intentional about keeping Jesus at the centre of our lives, and our kids lives.
Here are 5 things you might want to think about doing to help keep your family centred on Jesus:
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Set up a nativity scene: There are a lot of great nativity scenes out there. We have a couple in our home, one from Precious Moments and another made of tall wooden blocks. Having the scene set up where it can be seen daily will be a conscious (or subconscious) reminder that without Jesus there would be no Christmas season.
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Use an Advent calendar: To be honest, I never grew up with one, and my kids use it as an excuse to eat more chocolate, but I see the value in having one. It’s a way to countdown to that special day when Jesus was born. There are many great Christian themed advent calendars to help kids remember they’re not just opening presents, they’re celebrating Jesus.
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Give with your kids: This is the time of year when people are most generous, and chances are you are too. When you give, let your kids be a part of that. Let them practice giving, and let them know why you give. It’s an opportunity to teach them that if God gave His son, we can honour Him by giving what we have.
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Choose your Christmas songs: There are so many great Christmas songs out there, unfortunately, Christ centred ones are a growing minority. Admittedly, even my favourite Christmas song is “What Christmas Means to Me” by Pentatonix. For that reason, we need to be intentional in including Christ centred Christmas songs in our rotation. There are some amazing classics, and new ones out there, and new Christian Christmas albums are coming out all the time. Before you know it, your kids will be singing along to Christ centred Christmas songs.
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Go to a Christmas service: When we get super busy it seems like church program/services are one of the first things we drop when we need a breather, don’t let Christmas service be one of those! The Christmas service is the perfect thing to help us slow down, breathe, and remember what the season is all about it. Whether it is a Christmas Eve or Christmas Day service, make going a priority. It will help you and your kids remember what’s most important.
Is there a tradition you like to do with your family to help Jesus at the centre of it? We’d love to hear from you!
Whether you are able to give once, or monthly, we thank you for your unwavering support.
