On Celebrating Christmas

Some people complain about the commercialization of Christmas and it is a fact. But that’s no reason to succumb to it ourselves or to go to the other extreme and cease to celebrate it at all.

Instead, we need to focus our energies to teach our families to marvel in Jesus. Jesus is so worthy of a special celebration each year. As we point our families to the true meaning of Christmas, God may just use our influence to challenge our culture to return to it’s Biblical roots. That happens one family at a time!

I don’t know about you, but it warms my heart when I hear real Christmas carols resounding in stores during the season. It does happen! Christmas is definitely a time when people’s hearts are more open to hearing of God’s Word and His truth. When we make Christ the center of our celebrations, He’ll become the center of our children’s celebrations and we can create a legacy for our posterity.

It is a temptation to get caught up in the busyness of Christmas and not set aside time for your little ones, but they are your priority. Try to plan plenty of storytime and time to explain your traditions to them. Deut. 6:20 says “When your son asks you in time to come saying , what do the testimonies and statutes and judgements mean which the Lord our God commanded us?” Here and elsewhere in Scripture it assumes that we will live in such a way that our children will ask us why we do things the way we do them, and here we are presented with a perfect teaching opportunity. God instructed His people to hold feast and special worship times: and for us, Christmas is worthy of celebration.

Teach Your Children the Signifigance of our Traditions

Tree - The Christmas Tree-

Jesus was born for the cross. He came to die for us- ON A TREE. I Peter 2:24 says that Jesus bore our own sins in His body on the tree”

The evergreen tree also represents eternal life- the green remains all winter long.

Lights-

Jesus was the light of the world. He came to be a light shining in the darkness.

Star

God placed a special star in the sky to guide the wise men to the Savior. It’s fitting that that God used a star to announce the birth of Christ-Ps. 19:1 says,
“the Heavens declare the Glory of God”

Angels

Heavenly messengers sent by God to announce the miracle to lowly shepherds

Candle and Poinsettia

We are told to be lights on a hilltop , not to cover it under a bushel, but to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven., leading others to our Precious Savior. What better time than Christmas?

Poinsettia- Answers in Genesis tells us that the poinsettia was used for Christmas as it was believed to represent the unique star of Bethlehem. Also, the red color represents the blood that Jesus sacrificed for our sins. It blooms in winter.

Gifts

Jesus was the greatest gift ever given . As his life’s blood flowed to the foot of the cross, so we place our gifts under the tree as a reminder of the greatest gift we ever received- the salvation of our soul.

We emphasize the joy of giving to others during this season.

Ornaments

Our adornment should be of Christ- God wants to decorate us with the fruit of the spirit to make us more like Him.

Wreath

The wreath, in a circle, reminds us of God’s everlasting love which never ends. The green represents everlasting life.

Candy cane

Read in Celebrating a Christ-centered Christmas on page 20.

Have you ever thought about the colors of Christmas or explained them to your kids?

Red- represents the shed blood Isaiah 1:18 “Thou your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

White- Christ’s purity and sinlessness

Green- everlasting life

Gold- royalty

Memories and family traditions are the stuff life is made of. And you, as mom, have the wonderful privilege of building meaningful traditions for your children they will treasure their entire lifetime. Traditions are kind of like a glue that cements the family together in a special , unique, way.

excerpted from More Than Just a Wish List by Marilyn Boyer