Putting Christ first in Christmas

Christmas can be the best opportunity to spend quality time with family. However, it is easy to get caught up in contemporary culture’s consumerist frame of mind, spending a lot of money on shopping and gifts and eating way more than usual - not that there is anything wrong with that.

The best way to keep commercialism and the business side of Christmas out of Christmas is to keep the real Nativity story alive in our minds. Let’s remember why Christmas is celebrated every year and what it means today.

Children in school are taught to make peace with everyone, to love and accept and give generously to those who are less fortunate than they are. When you think about it, at its very essence, the story of Jesus’ birth is about accepting and loving others.

Having a renewed approach to Christ on His day can really make Christmas the most wonderful time of the year. Christmastime is the perfect time to reconnect with your faith and, more importantly, with God. What better way to do this than by going to Church, listening to Christian music and the sermons during mass and reflect on the true message of Christmas during Advent?

If you feel like doing something more to get in the spirit, you can take part in Christmas carolling at your local parish church, at a nursing home for the elderly, or even at a children’s hospital. Taking part can help you feel an indescribable renewed sense of purpose. If taking part does not sound like something you want to do, you can always just be a part of the audience, sing along to festive tunes, drink mulled wine and give a small donation to any charity of your choice. You can even volunteer in other ways that do not require singing, such as serving Christmas dinner at a shelter for people who are homeless.

Christmastime is also a time of sending a message of thanks to those who have helped you throughout the year. Instead of sending a message of well wishes on Facebook, WhatsApp or text message, go the ‘old-fashioned’ way this year and send Christian-themed Christmas card. This was always a highlight during Christmastime a couple years back before the era of smartphones. Choosing the daintiest and nicest design to send to friends and family felt like the hardest decision to make! Try this approach this year. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get back to it after realising how much you’ve missed doing it!

Bringing Christ into Christmas is not just about doing. Taking time to reflect on Jesus’ teachings, His love and majesty can be as simple as spending time on a bible study or personal journey of devotion.

Meditating on His Word and allowing God to work through you can open your eyes to the real positivity that is felt during the Christmas season – by Christians and non-believers alike.

These are all very little but nonetheless significant things you can do to try and make the meaning of Christmas more meaningful to yourself and to those around you.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13