How to Have a Christ Centered Christmas {FREE Devotional Journal}

Mama, the Christmas Countdown has begun…..or maybe it’s been going on in your home for a while. One of my daughters starts the countdown way before day 100! Regardless of when you “officially” start, the busyness of the season is real. Christmas parties, shopping, school, homeschool or Church activities, there is so much to keep up with! Maybe you’re left wondering, once again, how you can actually have a Christ-Centered Christmas.

Mama if you are you struggling with keeping Christ in Christmas you are not alone!

Let me ask you, how would you describe your Christmas season so far?

If your Christmas season looks anything like mine did a few years ago, there’s only one way to describe it.

Busy.

We are pulled in every direction, our schedules stuffed to overflowing. So much so that we barely have time to throw out a quick thanks to God, let alone create a Christ-Centered Christmas for our families.

As a Mom of 5, we have had our share of those times.

But we’ve also had other years. Times, where we were able to enjoy family, food, gifts, and fun and still remained, centered on Christ daily.

To be honest, though, those times for us didn’t come by choice.

They were delivered by various trials over the years. Trials that God turned into a beautiful refocus of our hearts.

Maybe you’re here today in the middle of a trial. Or you have just had enough of “busy”.

Either way, you are in the right place! There are amazing tools and some sweet encouragement to help you create a Christ-Centered Christmas.

But here’s the key when you’re trying to keep Christ in Christmas.

Even if we manage to curtail the craziness we can still miss the true meaning of Christmas. There is another distraction that can derail us from God’s best.

We can lose sight of Jesus while celebrating His birth. And then, what are we left with?

Today I want to challenge you to dig deeper. I pray, as believers, we will see the miracle, redemption, and gift of eternal life in Jesus birth instead of simply “The Christmas Story”.

Please don’t get me wrong, familiarity with the telling of Christ’s birth is a wonderful thing. But when we begin to glaze over it and see a “familiar story” instead of what His birth means for every-one-of-us, we miss out on SO much Joy!

So this Christmas, let’s dive into what the birth of Christ means for us personally – with fresh eyes!

Will you join me as we look at 4 truths shown to us by Christ’s birth? Download your free Christ-centered Christmas devotional journal here. Details and videos below!

How to Have a Christ-Centered Christmas

Truth #1 Christ’s Birth Shows God is Faithful

God promised a Savior long before His birth. Just one of these promises is in Isaiah 7:14 where it says

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

Immanuel God With Us.

The birth of Jesus fulfilled (to bring to completion or reality) God’s promise of a Savior. God doesn’t lie, make mistakes and is never late. He is only truth, His ways are good and His timing is perfect.

When we look at scripture that foretold the birth of Jesus, followed by passages about His birth, we can see God’s faithfulness. He keeps His promises.

When our focus this Christmas is on the evidence of God’s faithfulness in our lives, it will help us to grow in faith.

We begin to trust Him more and more. We’re also encouraged to be faithful in our lives and in our relationships with others – even those who challenge us.

Whether we are struggling emotionally, financially or relationally this season, we can know God is faithful!

But remember the beauty of it. God was faithful to fulfill His promise of a savior not just for others, but for you! We need to let that sink in.

Keeping Christ in Christmas is important because it is deeply personal. Christ was born for you. A Savior was sent for YOU!

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Isaiah 9:6-7

{Take a peek at the video walkthrough and let’s go to your journal and dig into these truths today!}

Truth #2 Christ’s Birth Shows God’s Love for YOU

As we reflect on God’s faithfulness we are also reminded of the depth of God’s love for you! His love for you is bigger than you could fathom, deeper than you could know, it is unconditional.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

God loves you so much that:

Christ was born to die for you.

He was born so that your sins would be forgiven.

He was born as your (only) way to eternal life.

Jesus was born to pay your ransom, to free you from sin, death, and hell.

The Savior of the world was born for you because God loves you!

Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:4-6

{Join me in your journal and take a look at this 3 min video as we walk through the depth of God’s love for you!}

Truth #3 Christ’s Birth Shows Us God’s Character

So far our focus on Christ’s birth shows us that God is faithful and that He loves us unconditionally. The birth of Christ also shows us God’s Character.

In Hebrews 1:1-4 it says

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.

After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So He became as much superior to the angels as the name He has inherited is superior to theirs.

We were given the Son that we might know the Father. Christ’s birth was not the beginning. Let’s not miss the beauty of who He was before He came to live among us. Yes, Jesus took on flesh at conception, but as the Son (second part of the Trinity) He was without beginning or end!

This verse says ‘He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being’.

I love that! Radiance is associated with making the light more visible. A light that shines into darkness helps us to see. Christ helps us to see God’s Character more clearly. But Christ doesn’t just reflect God, it says He is the exact representation of His being.

In all stages of life here on earth, from the baby in a manger to Christ’s crucifixion on the cross, Jesus was the exact representation of God’s Character.

Christ’s birth reminds us that as we look at the Son, we see the heart of the father.

{Use your journal and join me below to explore some of the attributes of God}

Truth #4 Christ’s Birth Shows Us God is Sovereign

I believe this truth is one of the sweetest to our hearts. Christ’s Birth Shows Us God is Sovereign over all. As we seek to have a Christ-Centered Christmas let’s not miss the awe of the whole picture!

The Christmas Story is big friends. Let’s not shrink it down to human-sized thinking. It’s the picture of God’s sovereignty. His Son is woven throughout the entire Bible and is His great plan from the beginning. Nothing is missed by Him.

God promised a Savior. Jesus left Heaven to take on human flesh to become like us. He died for sins He never committed so that we, who are sinners, could be forgiven and restored to relationship with our Father.

We are gifted grace and eternal life, through faith in Christ alone.

He holds all in His hands. He’s in every little detail. Nothing is wasted.

No pain, sorrow or joy is left unused. He can use all things for good and for His glory.

We should seek to have a Christ-Centered Christmas that we might become more like Him, And to celebrate the Savior of the World.

This Christmas let’s let Christ’s birth show us:

God is Faithful.

How Much God Loves Us

God’s Character

God’s Sovereignty

I pray that we would truly worship the King who is worthy of all of our praise!

{Come with me thru this video (it just may be my favorite truth) and explore God’s sovereignty in your life as we journal together}

Make sure to join our Imperfect Moms private facebook group for encouragement and accountability!

oh yes, and did you also download your FREE Intentional Bible Study for Overwhelmed Moms?

Talk to you soon!

Lee

O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life. Lamentations 3:56

I am so thankful to be a part of the They Call Me Blessed 24 Days to a Christ-Centered Christmas Blog Party!

Make sure to stop by They Call Me Blessed to visit the rest of the posts in the series!