Making Christmas Count: Three Ways to Keep Christ at the Center

I’m sipping coffee on a cool Chiang Mai morning, listening to Christmas music play softly in the background. A smile spreads across my face—this year I will be with my grandchildren for Christmas! There will be gifts, food, and joy-filled laughter.  It’s been a long time since we’ve all been together on the holidays.  Still, the questions linger: What will I do with Christmas this year?  How will I make the Savior who came to earth known to the lost, broken, and unreached around me?

For years, I’ve resisted the pull of commercialism and the frantic pace that often defines the holidays. Instead, I’ve tried to embrace this season as a unique opportunity to share the story of Jesus. Wherever I’ve lived, I’ve noticed that hearts seem more open now than at any other time of year.

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Join the Christmas Challenge

In the past, I’ve invited my audience and trainees into a “Christmas Challenge”—encouraging people to share Jesus’ story with someone new each day leading up to December 25th. This year I’d like to do that again, but with a slightly different twist.  I’ll be spending half of December in America, so I’m going to change this year’s challenge to 25 spiritual conversations before Christmas, aiming for one each day. 

Every 5 days, starting December 1st, I’ll post a new short article related to that and go live on YouTube and Facebook with a brief encouragement and about how I’m doing in that challenge. More about that at the end of this article.

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Advent

One tradition I’ve grown to appreciate is Advent. In my Pentecostal background, we rarely observed it, but learning from authors like Ruth Haley Barton has made Advent a meaningful rhythm for me. It’s a season of waiting, reflection, and hope—a time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.

Isaiah 9:6 reminds us:
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given… and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

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Three Tips to Make the Most of the Holiday Season

1. Share Jesus’ story with someone new.
This season opens doors for spiritual conversations. Many know about Santa and Christmas trees, but not the miracle of Christ’s birth. Could you invite an immigrant family for a meal and use a nativity scene to explain the story? Set a goal to share the story of his birth with someone from a non-Christian background this year, someone who may never have heard it before. 

2. Actively Resist Busyness and Overload.
It’s easy to get swept up in shopping or overloaded church programs. Pause and ask God what He wants you to focus on. Is there something you need to say “no” to so you can spend more time making disciples?  It’s okay to say no to some activities, parties, or traditions.  Give yourself permission to be selective this year.

3. Pause Daily to Focus on Jesus and the meaning of Advent.
Daily set aside time to welcome Him afresh. Meditate on Scripture, join others in reading the Advent passages, and consider resources like Tim Keller’s Hidden Christmas. Let your heart grow still as you wait in wonder for the celebration of our Savior’s birth.

How will you prepare your heart and life for Christmas this year?

Want to join me in the Christmas Challenge? Aiming to have one spiritual conversation each day leading up to Christmas?  What better gift could we give to Jesus than that??

Join the Christmas Challenge Facebook Group and follow Dare to Multiply on social media to participate.  I’ll also be posting about this on the Dare to Multiply Community so be sure to join that as well if Facebook isn’t your preferred way of connecting.