The holiday season is upon us. For Christians, it is a time to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the deep religious reason for the season is frequently buried deep in commercialism, stress, debt, busyness and other things that distract our hearts and minds away from the Lord.It takes effort to keep your family focused on Christ rather than unnecessary wants. Here are a few ideas to keep Christ as a prevalent part of your family's celebrations.
- Display Nativities as part of your Christmas decor. Nativities are beautiful depictions that usually portray Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus. They often include wise men, angels and animals as well. Incorporating these images will help bring Christ to the forefront of our thoughts.
- Focus less on Santa, and more on Jesus. Santa isn't all bad. He is very giving, he wants us to be good, and tries to spread happiness. Similarly, the Savior also has those traits, but is much more. We celebrate Christmas because we can rejoice that He came to earth so that we can repent and return home to Heaven one day. A book that I've shared with my children is "I Believe in Santa Claus." I love this story because it draws parallels between Santa and Christ (hard to make it through without getting emotional!).
- Try to attend special events like "The Messiah" or local Creche festivals or anything else that focuses on Christ. Many communities or churches will put on such events for the public to attend--either for free or a very low cost.
- Do service for others. The life of Jesus was filled with service for others. We can become closer to Him by following His example and taking care of those around us. My family thinks it is fun to "doorbell ditch" and leave treats or a special message to uplift our neighbors. There are also opportunities to help those less fortunate have Christmas in their home by donating food or gifts to families in need.
- Read about His birth. A wonderful tradition to have in your family is to read Luke 2 in the New Testament about the birth of Jesus. There are also movies or video clips available to watch to tell His story, such as this one:
Christmas is a time for fun, family, celebrations, and gift-giving. But, let us not forget the Reason for the Season. He really is someone worth celebrating--His sacrifice, the Atonement, His grace, the ransom paid for our souls. Keep Christ in Christmas this year. Remember Him always.
For some more inspirational blog posts:
© Wendy 2013
love all of those ideas. i get way too caught up in the other parts of christmas and really want to focus more on Christ this year.
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