Keeping Christ at the Center of Christmas | Keep God in Life

Eating cookies, sitting by the fire, and opening presents sure is fun, and spending time with good friends and family makes it one of the most looked-forward to days of the year. But as Christians, how can we have all this fun and still make sure Christ is the hub of our Christmas experience?

Here's 10 ways to keep Christ at the center of your family's Christmas celebration.

1. Read the Christmas story in the Bible with your family

The simplest place to start, and an important foundation for your family's knowledge on the birth of Christ. Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 2:1-20 both document the original Christmas story, back before Ralphie got his Red Ryder BB gun.

2. Watch a Christ-focused movie

Unfortunately many Christmas movies don't even mention the name Jesus. As entertaining as they are, they fall short of what Christmas is really about. Some great movies to watch with your family at Christmas time are The Star of Bethlehem, The Nativity Story, The Gospel of John, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and yes, A Charlie Brown Christmas.

3. Use a calendar with Scripture

Advent looks forward to Christ coming at Christmas (advent is derived from a word that means 'coming') and is also a time of preparation for this event. Using an advent calendar will give you a daily reminder from Scripture to reinforce the true meaning of Christmas and renew your spirit as the day approaches.

4. Look at Old Testament Prophecies about the birth of Jesus

The arrival of the Messiah is foretold in hundreds of Old Testament prophecies. Numerous of these speak directly of Christ's birth, and reading through these prophecies while seeing the fulfillment of the New Testament is such a powerful way to build faith in the Lord.

5. Call out the wrong messages

It's all around us- movies, cartoons, casual discussion- they all show gift giving, decorating, and spending time with others. And all of these can be good! However, they fall short of the beautiful meaning of Christmas, that God sent his Son here into the world as a baby, to be the sacrifice for our sins and save those who believe in Him.

6. Listen to Christian music

Christmas music is a lot of meaningless fluff. There's little mention of Christ and much lacks any substance at all. Now, check out this verse from the Christian song "Light of the World" by Lauren Daigle:

And can you hear the angels singing
Glory to the light of the world
Glory, the light of the world is here
The drought breaks with the tears of a mother
A baby's cry is the sound of love

Give some Christian music a listen this Christmas, and see if it helps you find the true meaning of Christmas.

7. Make serving others the highlight of your Christmas

Mark 10:45 says that Christ did not come to be served, but to serve. This time of the year can often become a very self-centered time, and stepping back to serve others gives you an opportunity to think about the needs of those around you. This can take place in a church, homeless shelter, or by doing random acts of kindness to the strangers around you.

8. Share the Word of God

Christmas might be the best time of the year to invite that friend or relative to church. Church is often in the back of people's minds; a curiosity lies beneath, but a feeling of uneasiness to a new experience, environment, or people might weigh them down. Christmas services are often times special, with more music, props, and even people acting out the nativity scene on stage. This will leave a fun and positive first impression to those that might be new to going to church.

9. Be mindful of materialism

Christmas can be a materialistic trap. Commercials bombard us with ads and stores draw us in with brilliant light shows and decorations. If you are a parent, it's important to bring this to the attention of your kids. Teach them that the displays and the gifts can be fun, but the true meaning of Christmas lies beyond the possessions. It also helps to flip the script and put the focus on giving, and not just giving gifts, but time. Put an emphasis on using your time to help others, to serve, and to put more good into the world. Pray that God keeps your focus on Christmas' true meaning, and not the glam that's everywhere around you.

10. Give Christ-centered gifts

Giving gifts that build faith is a simple and easy way to celebrate the birth of Christ while spreading His good word. Keep God in Life has several items that make excellent Christmas gifts.

Christmas Prayer Holy Card Set

Saint Nicholas Laminated Prayer Card Set

Saint Nicholas Oval Sterling Silver Necklace

To truly make it count, write a Bible verse on the Christmas cards you sent out to point your gifts back to the Savior!

As you go forth into this Christmas season, you have an amazing opportunity to share what Christmas is really about, so why not proclaim the source of real Christmas cheer, Jesus Christ?