Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Christ. The holiday is filled with wonder, love and joy. There is something very special about Christmas and the feelings you felt as a child about that time of year. It’s not just about toys and presents but it is the true meaning of the holiday that is important. But as we get older, we tend to lose that reality. Christmas has gotten so commercialized that we hardly remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Every year we seem to lose a little bit more of the true meaning of Christmas. God came to the world, as Christ, and walked among us as a man. His name is Immanuel which means God is with us. He came to redeem us back to Himself and forgive all our sins. Christmas is about Him.
What if you could get back to the true meaning of Christ Christmas? What if you could make the holiday this year about sharing Him and have that wonderful feeling of love, wonder and joy. You or your family can do that. You can share Christ with someone else this season and give them the true meaning of Jesus and share what a gift He is to the world.
Let me share with you some great ideas to do just that:
- Read the Christmas story: The Christmas story is found in the bible in Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:5-56 to 2:1-20. Take the time to read this with your family or share it with some one that doesn’t know Christ as Savior this year. Let them know the real meaning of Christmas.
- Old Fashioned Christmas Carols: There is almost nothing more Christmas like than singing Christmas carols on the street or to neighbors. Get some friends together or church members and sing out the beautiful songs of the season. Go to a retirement home community or just sing inside of a shopping mall or a big store.
- Give to someone else: This is a fun one. Make this Christmas about giving to someone else. Buy Christmas for them. I did this one year and it was amazing feeling. Give them a tree, presents, dinner and Jesus. Share with them the real meaning of Christmas.
- Bake cookies for the sick and shut in: Almost everyone loves a cookie. Why not bake for Christmas this year? There are plenty of sick people that love cookies but can’t bake. Wrap them up real pretty and share the love with them in sweet treats. Visit with them while sharing and cheer up their day. People who are shut-in are lonely most of the time and some have no family.
- Make homemade gifts this year: This one will take a lot of thought and heart. Instead of shopping and making the stores rich this year why not make gifts from the heart this year. Think about each family member. Ask God what would be meaningful to them. Get creative. You never know what you will come up with.
- Have a Christmas dinner for others: How about you invite someone new to dinner. Invite a stranger or a co-worker to dinner. You could also invite a college student that can’t get back home to their family. Is there a teacher at the school that is lonely and has no family? What about someone newly divorced or someone grieving the loss of a child or their entire family. The list is endless.
- Attend Christmas events at church: Nearly every church has some sort of program for Christmas that represents the true meaning of Christmas. Make sure to attend one of those or participate in one for yourself and your family.
- Random Acts of Kindness: This is a fun one. Take the entire season of Christmas, usually the month of December, and commit to doing random acts of kindness. Get your kids involved in this one. Make a kindness calendar and write different things you can do for others in your community, family, church, neighbors, friends, relatives, or strangers. These acts can be anything. They can be in person or anonymous.
Now that you have a short list of ideas to choose from, as you celebrate Christmas this year, make sure you put Christ in it. The simple meaningful traditions above are things that can keep the meaning of Christ in Christmas and keep it alive in the hearts of children and your family. Christ was all about people. He served them, blessed them, and cared for them. You can be His hand extended this holiday season.