“Mom, I want that!” My daughter points to the television set. It’s a commercial for squishy sand. Batman Duplos. Scooters, Dora apps, a self-cleaning fish tank.
The toys may change day by day, but the response is the same.
“Mom, I want that—for Christmas!”
It’s natural for a child to crave presents. And I do love giving gifts to my kids.
But the gifts I long to give them aren’t just the toy store kind. Above all, I want my children to receive kindness, generosity, mercy and love—and to know how to pay them forward. Those are the true gifts of Christmas.
So as parents, my husband and I make deliberate efforts to place Jesus at the center of our celebrations. We find magic in the manger babe, the shepherds and the angels, and we share that magic with our kids.
Here are some simple ways you can make this Christmas matter in the deepest sense.
1. Read the Christmas story. Luke 2:1–21 gives a beautiful account of the birth of Jesus. Emphasize to your kids that, unlike Santa or Rudolph, this story is true. It really happened! And because Jesus was born, lived the perfect life, died and rose again, we can be in heaven with God one day if we believe on his Son. That is why we celebrate Christmas.
2. Refer to Christmas as “Jesus’ birthday.” In our house, we use the two terms interchangeably. Our kids know that Christmas is a birthday party, and Jesus is the birthday boy. That makes him the star of the day.
3. Implement some traditions that focus on Jesus. In the middle of visiting Santa, spying the elf on the shelf, baking snowman cookies and watching It’s a Wonderful Life, we can let the entire season slip by without dedicating any activities to God. So make an Advent calendar. Buy some nativity window clings. Pray for kids in impoverished countries. Demonstrate for your children what it means to love Jesus at Christmas time—and all year round.
4. Do something nice for others. Remind your kids that God wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves. Then decide together how you can show God’s love to someone outside of your family circle. A few years ago, my girls and I made a triple batch of chocolate-coated snack mix, packed it into red and green tins, and went door to door delivering the treat to families in our neighborhood. Each tin was decorated with a poem sharing the gospel. To this day, it’s still one of our favorite Christmas memories.
5. Spend time with God. This time of year is so hectic, our to-do lists can drain all our mental and spiritual energy. But God reminds us in John 15:5 that we are mere branches. He is the vine, our sustenance. We have to remain in him if we want to bear any fruit. He even goes so far as to say that apart from him, we can do nothing. I’m pretty sure “nothing” includes that shopping list, the cookie exchange, your daughter’s Christmas recital—all of it. Take some time out of each busy day to read your Bible, to pray, to sit still before the Lord. You’ll be amazed at how it refreshes your spirit and gives you the boost you need to tackle this frenzied season.
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
So are you ready? Let’s make Christmas matter this year. I invite you to join my Make Christmas Matter series on my home blog, Time Out with Becky Kopitzke. Each week I’m sharing new insight on how to make Jesus the center of our family Christmas celebrations—without losing an ounce of the fun. Join me there!
CLICK HERE to request to join our FACEBOOK GROUP and CONTINUE the CONVERSATION!
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