As you celebrate this Christmas let’s not forget the reason for this season of celebration: it is God with us. God became flesh, reaching us with His love, mercy, and grace. It is very easy to get caught up with all of the cultural trappings and commercialism, and miss the real meaning of Christmas.

Hanging the lights, decorating, shopping, giving and receiving of gifts and all the goodies to eat is certainly part of Christmas celebrations in North America. But these are not the reason for Christmas; the Lord Jesus Christ is. If we are not careful, we could celebrate Christ’s birth without Him being present.

How can we make sure we celebrate Jesus?

1. Attend church and celebrate Christ with followers of Christ. There may be some legitimate reason why you cannot attend church, and that is fine. But if your reason for not attending is to prepare for your celebration, then you are missing the reason for celebrating. We should not neglect worshipping Jesus with His body of followers in preparation for celebrating Him.

2. Celebrate Jesus with your family and friends. As you gather to eat and have fun and fellowship with your family and friends, intentionally celebrate Jesus. Have those who gather share something about how Jesus has affected their life over the past year.I know some of you may have family or friends who are not followers of Jesus, and you may be concerned about how they might respond or feel if you invite such open conversations about Jesus. While that may be the case, let us not lose sight of whose birth we are celebrating. Trust the power of the gospel message to do its work in the hearts of those present. All we are called to do is make him known. What better way and time to do so than when we are gathered to celebrate his birth.

3. Be generous to someone less fortunate this Christmas. You may think that you don’t have extra money this year. That may be true, but being generous is not only about giving money or material things to those less fortunate.You could visit someone you know will be alone this Christmas, or you could call someone to let them know you have been thinking of and praying for them as they battle through a rough patch in their life. You could also invite someone over to share a meal with you and your family in celebration of Jesus’ birthday.

Celebrating Christmas without intentionally making Jesus the reason for the celebration is similar to your family and friends planning a grand birthday celebration for you, but when you show up very little attention is given to you.

Let’s not sideline Jesus at his celebration in pursuit of cultural expectations. Let’s lift Him up through our celebration of Christmas so that all people can be drawn to Him.

Merry Christmas.

If you would like help in achieving your goals as a leader or in any area of your life, call us at 208-880-0307 or email us at errol@errolcarrim.com to schedule a complimentary coaching session. To read Errol’s other posts, visit Christ-Centered Life Coaching.