Christmas: Pulling Back and Refocusing

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phillippians 2:9-11, ESV)

When I was growing up, Black Friday was a huge event. People would finish up their Thanksgiving meal and head out to camp in front of a store all night in the freezing cold to get in as soon as the doors opened early morning the next day. There would be news stories of people that were trampled and died trying to get the next best deal. 

Flash forward to this year, and you’d never even know that people would literally risk their lives to kick off their Christmas season. I don’t think I know one person that got up before dawn let alone ventured out to shop. Whether that has something to do with online shopping, the lack of sales, or money being tight, maybe we should take advantage of the fact that this Christmas isn’t starting off with the same consumerist kickoff it has in the past.

Maybe, a lack of Black Friday enthusiasm is a welcome excuse to change our perspective this holiday season. Maybe, we could use the break from gift lists, stocking stuffers, holiday parties, and busy schedules to make this year a little more about the reason it exists in the first place. 

I’m finding that the more holidays I spend as a mom, the more I want to be intentional in creating family traditions that keep our focus on Christ, rather than all the madness that distracts from Him. Growing up, my family hosted Christmas Eve. When I got married, Sam couldn’t believe I had never gone to a Christmas Eve service. My family didn’t have anything against it, except that we were inundated preparing for people to come over and we weren’t able to make one.

My point is not that you have to go to church on Christmas Eve. It’s that sometimes, one little change to your holiday traditions to add more remembrance of Christ can lead to more. Maybe it’s reading Luke 2 before you open presents under the tree this year. Maybe it’s picking a night and spending a night with your family singing Christmas carols and praying together. Maybe it’s volunteering some time at a soup kitchen or a toy drive and praying with other people.

Whatever it is, I know that personally, I want to be more intentional about slowing down, pulling back, and spending a little more time with my family pursuing Jesus this Christmas. 

He is the name above every name. He is the one for which every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. He is the God that chose to be born as a child in the most humble of settings. He came to be with us because He loved us so much.

So how does He get so lost in our Christmas cheer? 

This Christmas, we’ve decided to be a lot more simple than we have in years past. And I think there are a lot of factors that will put a lot of other families in the same boat. Whether it’s financial sparsity, overstimulation, mental health, or any other factor, if you find yourself in the same boat of wanting to cut down on the noise and shift your focus onto what matters, then do it. Don’t feel ashamed that you might not be able to swing the big, bright, picture-perfect Christmas.

At the end of the day, gifts don’t matter. They are a nice gesture, but they’re not mandatory. What does matter is giving your family a reminder to reverently remember that Christmas is about Jesus in a manger. After all that time of waiting, Jesus came to be with us– to love us, teach us, and reveal more of the Father to us.

The most important gift you can give your family is the opportunity to worship and adore Christ the Lord. Find ways to intentionally bring them back into the home and gather around the baby in the manger, even if it’s small. Like I said, sometimes one small reminder leads to more. 

This year, whether your Christmas is big or small, find a way. It’s quite honestly the most important thing you could make time for. It’s a gift with a deeper value and a more eternal reward.