By Briana Bass, Christian Romance Author, Devotional Writer & Certified Professional Coach

The Christmas season is upon us. Technically, it’s been here for weeks. I saw my first Christmas commercial of the year before Halloween. The large box stores have had decorations for sale since late October. Now, Thanksgiving is almost here, which means everything is on sale and children are sending Santa their wish lists.

Funny how none of that has anything to do with Christ.

There’s so much that will steal our time and energy this time of year. We lose sight of what really matters. Our focus slips away from Jesus and we become anxious and irritable instead of joyful and peaceful. In all the hustle and bustle of the next few weeks, it’s imperative that we don’t forget what Christmas is really about: the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the Reason for the Season

Most of us know Jesus was likely not born in December. The Bible does not provide an exact date of His birth. One of the most widely accepted reasons we celebrate in December is to align with pagan festivals such as the winter solstice as a way to ease ancient pagans into Christianity. However the date was selected, December 25 has been a holy day for centuries of Christians.

In modern times, Christmas has become a secular holiday. More front lawns boast inflatable reindeer than nativity scenes. We can enjoy the whimsy of Christmas. In fact, I encourage you to drink hot chocolate and bake sugar cookies and dance around the kitchen to “Jingle Bells.” We should take every opportunity to enjoy life and have fun. It’s balancing the secular with the religious that poses a challenge.

O Holy Night

There are numerous ways to focus on Jesus at Christmastime. Below I’ve provided a sample of ideas. Please keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list. If you have other ideas, please share in the comments!

• Attend Christmas Eve service. Find a local church or watch an online service. Either way, join a Christian community to celebrate the holiest night of the year.

• Bake Jesus a birthday cake. Holiday baking doesn’t have to be limited to fruitcake and snickerdoodles. Grab your favorite cake mix and some candles and sing to the birthday boy.

• Read the Christmas story. Specifically, open your Bible and read Luke 1:26-56, Luke 2:1-21, and Matthew 1:18-24. Gather your family and read it out loud. Assign parts to family members and have one person read Joseph, one person read Mary, one person read Gabriel.

• Sing Christmas hymns. Perhaps you have a pianist in your family who can accompany you as you sing. Encourage your loved ones to use their musical gifts to sing to the Lord as you celebrate His birth.

• Visit a living nativity. Check the churches in your area for the dates and times they will offer a living nativity. In some cases, these are drive-thru events, so you can bundle the kids into the car and bring snacks, like popcorn, to enjoy while you witness Mary, Joseph, and Jesus at the manger.

Happy Birthday, Jesus

Christmas isn’t about us. It’s not about presents and caroling and decorations. We need to stop and pivot back to the true meaning of Christmas. When we put Jesus first, the rest falls into place.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:8-14 KJV