You’ve heard it (and maybe shared it): “Keep Christ in Christmas.”
It’s a great thought…but do you do it?
December can be such a busy month. Even busy with ministry. But sometimes in all the busyness of the season, we’re as guilty as the innkeeper of not making room for Jesus, even if our reasons are well intentioned.
How can you, throughout the month of December, not only keep your head above water but actually make this month a season of worship? Here are seven suggestions:
- Attend every church service. You might be inclined to think that cutting back on church attendance during a busy month would relieve your schedule, that coming to every service just adds to the busyness. In actuality, if you come with a heart to quiet the white noise of the season and worship the Christ of Christmas, it doesn’t add to the busyness—it adds to the worship. (It could also add to your gospel opportunities if you invite a friend.)
- Schedule time for personal worship. Carve out time daily to open God’s Word and spend even just a few moments reflecting on Christ’s love, humility, and grace in coming to be our Saviour. Don’t wait until December 25 to read the Christmas story. Begin today reading Matthew 2 and Luke 1–2. Read Philippians 2. Reread them. Read them all in one sitting. Then read again just a few verses a day. Meditate on them. Even if you are a pastor immersed in ministry for Christmas, take time to immerse your own heart in the rich truths of the Incarnation.
- Use a Christmas devotional. If you read just one short book this month, make it a Christmas devotional that will encourage you to reflect on Christ and what His coming to earth means for us. Christmas Is a Gift (also available on kindle or iBooks) could be a helpful one. For a short devotional sent to your inbox each morning, you can subscribe to Daily in the Word. These daily devotions are featuring Christmas passages and truths all of the month of December.
- Teach children the meaning of Christmas. Whether it is your own children at home or helping in a class at church, teach a child the true meaning of Christmas. Or a new Christian. There is nothing to remind us of the wonder of familiar truths like seeing it through the eyes of a child or a new Christian.
- Think about the carols as you sing them. In some ways, Christmas has built in reminders to make room for Christ if we will simply think about what we do as we do it. Our Christian Christmas carols are among those. As you sing them in church, hear them in the mall (that’s one thing I love about this time of year), or play them from your phone…think about the words.
- Invite a guest to church. This is the easiest time of year to invite a family member, co-worker, friend, or neighbor to church. Between children’s presentations, church choir musicals, or a candlelight service, there are usually events at every church to which you could invite a guest. This year, Christmas itself is even on a Sunday!
- Give the gospel to someone. Beyond inviting someone to church, pray for an opportunity to fully share the gospel with someone. There is no better way to keep Christ in Christmas than to tell someone else the reason He came: to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
