This season has been fun with my sons listening to Christmas music and singing and dancing to our favorite songs. Even though we like these parts of the season, my husband and I have resolved to make sure that our sons know that, as Christians, whatever we do this season, we must make it about Jesus Christ.
Christmas, despite others infusing the season with pagan ideologies or not, is going to be about Jesus Christ just like every other time in our lives. So as the world ramps up its idea of Christmas, with songs and sales at every turn, we will ramp up our focus on Jesus Christ so that we remember and others see that, for us, Jesus is the reason for the season.
Here are some ideas to help you focus on Christ this CHRISTmas.
Speak about Christ. Teach your children to say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays. What other holidays are stores or society in mass focusing on besides Christmas? So really, it doesn’t make sense to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas when you greet people because this is the Christmas season.
Examine cultural practices. I admit this is a tough one for me. I like hokey holiday music, sappy Christmas movies, a decorated home, a trimmed tree and gifts, but I have not been able to figure out what any of those things have to do with Jesus Christ. And though he loves putting up a Christmas tree my oldest son asks why we put up a tree.
I’ve told him it’s a cultural tradition, that this is something people do. Some say we shouldn’t erect a tree because doing so makes us like the heathens in Jeremiah 10:3-4 (though these verses were talking about cutting down a tree to use the wood to carve an idol). Some say we should give gifts because God the Father gave us the gift of His Son. Hmmm. I don’t know. Still others worry about being able to afford gifts and preparing a big meal. I have yet to find a biblical origin of any of these practices to share with my sons, but I do know this: The Bible tells us not to worry and God will give us revelation about whatever we need to know (Philippians 4:6-8; James 1:5). He will do so with Christmas practices, too, and I believe we should follow whatever convictions we receive and not impose them on others.
Sing Christ-centered Christmas songs. One of my favorite songs is “Joy to the World.” The music stirs my soul but the words always bring me to tears at least one time in the season. They speak directly about what Jesus’ coming to the world did to change the course of our hell-bound destiny and that His birth is indeed reason for us to rejoice.
Watch Christ-centered programs. You can get movies, attend plays or watch specials, like “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” that clearly give the message that Christmas is about Jesus Christ.
Read devotionals that focus on Jesus. These prepared messages often come with activities to engage your family. You can get my “The 39 Days of Christmas: A Devotional Celebrating the Coming Christ” for free by subscribing to my mailing list and blog at www.souldelights.com.
Read Luke 1 and 2 as a family. Reading the biblical account of Jesus’ birth helps children focus on the original Christmas story. You can ask your children to read portions, ask them specific questions about what they read and have them display their understanding by creating a skit, drawing pictures or writing their thoughts about the narrative.
Meditate on Jesus’ birth. We can use our children’s responses to Jesus’ birth narrative as points of meditation. When we consider why Jesus was born, we understand that His birth was ultimately so He could die to take away the sins of humankind. In John 4:34 Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” Jesus understood that God the Father sent Him to earth to die for the sins of the world. We are told to die to ourselves—to not give in to our desires that go against God’s desires—so that Christ might live in us (Romans 8:13). When Christ lives in us we are able to hear and accomplish what we were born to do. Meditating on Jesus’ birth can inspire us to meditate on why we were born. We can then discuss how we can commit ourselves, as Jesus did, to our life’s mission.
When we focus on Christ this Christmas, we no doubt are teaching our children to put the Kingdom First.
Click here to discover 7 additional ways you can carry out Christ's commands this Christmas.
What are some ways that you and your family honor Jesus Christ during the Christmas season?