Christmas is such a festive season, so full of rich traditions that have long been a part of our culture.
But as much as I love turning on the Christmas carols and look forward to time with family and friends, it’s all too easy for me to let the traditions and festivities overwhelm the only reason I have anything to celebrate:
The gift of the Prince of Peace, baby Jesus.
His gift to me was a gift freely given, not earned, expected or deserved, from the heart of our heavenly Father.
This life-giving offer of salvation is the very heart of what it means to give. During Jesus’ time on earth, he spoke to us of giving:
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” — Matthew 25: 35-36, TNIV
As I hurry through this holiday season, from party to party, lugging shopping bags around the mall, making my list and checking it twice, I’m trying to add a little intentionality to the season.
For me, that looks like:
- a handwritten note to encourage a friend who is struggling
- some extra time on the phone, to lend an ear to a family member
- allowing a young mom to step ahead of me in line at the store
There are so many other things I could do, but I’m just not thinking of them.
How do you intentionally bring Jesus into your gift giving? How do you keep Him at the center of the season?
6 Comments |Add a comment
Instead of buying myself things I want for Christmas and getting caught up in the secular “spirit of Christmas” & sales, I am giving thru Compassion’s Christmas catalog to kids & families that actually need things that will bless them. When I give, I like to think what if that was me on the receiving end? This makes me want to give the best I can & I’m God glad has been working in me like this. I know I can’t take credit.
Me and my new family are so grateful that we have a daughter from compassion. My church talked about her town and all we could do is hold her picture and pray harder tonight. God gave us a beautiful child to love and care for. We do thank god for our new member.
This year, I have adopted 2 children through Compassion International. We adopted children that are around the same age as our boys. We pray that this will help them share Jesus through the coming years as we support our sponsor children.
I posted about our family’s purposeful Christmas giving on my blog:
http://rightathomemom.blogspot.com/2011/12/purposeful-christmas-giving.html
Here in Australia December is also the end of the school year, which also means the end of all sorts of other activities like sports, music and youth groups so the pressure is on big time with the end of year things on top of Christmas.
One way we bring Christ into the centre of our Christmas is by including a giant wooden cross in our decorations. It’s bigger than the Christmas tree and navity. It is a visual reminder of the reason Jesus came. We place our gifts at the foot of the cross rather than under a tree or nativity.
One thing that we’re doing is a cookie exchange, but everyone is bringing an extra dozen and they’re being given to a family who lost their twelve year old daughter earlier this year.
Katie