I’ve been thinking a lot lately on how the world is trying to take Jesus Christ out of everything to do with Christmas, which is totally ridiculous because it’s HIS birthday that we are celebrating, after all! But they are trying to make Christmas about something else, and change its meaning altogether. I’m determined to do all I can to make sure that doesn’t happen! If you take Christ out of Christmas, you may as well just forget it – we don’t need another reason to throw a party. We need Jesus Christ in our lives!

I’m very interested in what YOU are doing to keep Christ in Christmas too! Let’s share our ideas on how we will make sure that the message of Christ is the main thing at CHRISTmas time.

So, here’s some of the things I’m going to do to make sure Christ is kept in the forefront of our Christmas celebrations:

Set aside a special time to read the Christmas story in Matthew 1 and 2, and Luke 1 and 2. This is so very important to our children! Don’t let Christmas be all about getting toys and playing with them. Make sure your children know that this is a REAL birthday for a REAL person named Jesus Who came to save the world! There are many paraphrased versions of the Christmas story and I have used some of them in years past on this blog, but you can find them readily on-line or in your favorite Bible book store. Make the story of Jesus’ birth magical for your children and grandchildren – because it was!

Make sure you have a nativity scene in your home. Do you remember when you were a child gazing at the nativity and thinking about what a special baby this Jesus must be? When little children can relate to the birth of Jesus with a visual representation, it just makes the event that much more real to them. Snowmen and elves and Santas are cute, but Jesus didn’t come down the chimney or in a flying sleigh, and children need to know that. Jesus is not a fairy tale and we need to make sure that we separate the fantasy from the reality.

Attend a Christmas church service together as a family. Keeping Christ in Christmas can be such a joy as you gather the family and go into the House of the Lord to celebrate with songs and hymns, and hear the message of Jesus’ birth. A Christmas Eve candlelight service is particularly beautiful and adds an element of the miraculous as the Light of the World is represented by the glistening flames that illuminate the sanctuary.

Surprise your family members with a gift of service.  I really like this one. Jesus taught us to serve one another when he washed  the disciple’s feet. He also taught us that it is “more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35  The idea of giving a surprising gift of service to family members is to demonstrate Christ-like love and service, so make sure this message is at the forefront of this act of love. You might consider breakfast in bed for your spouse, washing the car for your brother or sister, or doing a bit of housekeeping for your mother. Make it personal and meaningful and watch the blessings multiply.

Teach your children the art of giving gifts that matter. I’m pretty sure all my kids have learned this from Jim and me, but for the grandchildren we need to keep reminding them that the best gifts are the ones with a divine purpose, not just something to play with and discard when you get tired of it like most toys that are designed to amuse them for a short time. In contrast, when you give books with a spiritual message like a children’s Bible, or a book with a true historical representation of our country, we sow into their future. Teaching them to search for meaningful gifts to give other family members is also important.

(to be continued)