The Christmas season is a busy time of year, isn’t it? There’s so much to do to get ready for the holidays! There’s shopping, decorating, cooking, and cleaning. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and lose focus on why we celebrate Christmas.

Our culture also offers alternative meanings for the holiday. Some think it’s about being nice and spreading cheer through acts of kindness. Others think it’s about spending time with family. While both of these are good, neither is the true meaning of Christmas.

The true meaning of Christmas is that God came to be with us in the person of Jesus. We celebrate it to remember how He was born to be the Savior of the world. In Jesus, God was present with us to bear our burdens and save us from our sins (Matthew 1:18-25).

We must take care to keep our attention on Jesus during the Christmas season. This is especially important for the sake of our kids. As they write letters to Santa, receive presents, and enjoy time off school, it’s just as easy for them to lose sight of the “reason for the season.”

So how do we keep our (and our family’s) focus on Jesus during the holidays? Here are some suggestions:

• Sing Christmas songs. I don’t mean “Frosty the Snowman” or “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” I mean songs that are about Jesus, like “Away in a Manger” or “Silent Night.” Teach your kids songs like these and sing them together throughout the month.
• Read Christmas stories. I don’t mean “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” or “Twas the Night before Christmas.” I mean stories about Jesus’ birth. Get out your children’s Bibles and read the nativity stories. Find some story books about it as well. If you don’t have either of these, go to your local bookstores or borrow them from your church.
• Nativity set. Nativity sets are visual reminders of Jesus’ birth. Set one up in your yard or inside your house. There are even kid-friendly nativities that are made of toy figures! Since kids learn through playing, this is a great way to reinforce the true meaning of Christmas.
• Go to church. This is a great time of year to start attending church. Programs for children include lessons, songs, crafts, and games that are about Jesus’ birth. Sermons and worship are usually designed around this theme as well, so it will also help you to not be distracted!
• Remind them about Jesus. There’s nothing wrong with singing songs or reading stories that aren’t about Jesus. There’s nothing wrong with giving your kids presents or telling them about Santa. Just be sure to always remind them about Jesus’ birth. Remind them that without Him, there wouldn’t be Christmas!

This time of year gives us an opportunity to evaluate ourselves. If we lose focus on Jesus during Christmas, we probably lose focus on Him during the rest of the year too. If our kids get distracted from Him, we probably let them get distracted from Him during the rest of the year too.

Let’s not blame department stores or Santa when we lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. Instead, let’s take responsibility to keep our family’s focus on Jesus during every part of the year.

How do you keep your focus on Jesus during Christmas? Share your thoughts with a comment below!

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