If I could give you one piece of advice as parents for this upcoming Christmas, it would be this: Don’t try to make Jesus the center of your Christmas. Gasp!
Before you hit the back button on your browser, let me explain.
A few years back I received somewhat of an unsexy gift for Christmas: a bubble level. Nah, it wasn’t on my wish list.
But I must say, the bubble level has grown on me over the years. I’ve come to appreciate its usefulness. As we hang pictures in the house, the level ensures it’s properly centered. Nothing worse than a room full of off-centered pictures (your head starts to tilt at odd angles while gazing at the pictures).
The level is placed on the top of the painting. If the bubble centers, then you’re done. If it doesn’t, then you have to readjust it a bit according to the bubble. Minor adjustments to stay centered. We may be on to something.
Oftentimes when we start talking about making Jesus the center of Christmas, it sounds like something you check off on your to-do list. And as parents, our list during the Christmas season is mind boggling. Especially when packed on top of our already existing busyness.
So if you’re not to make Christ the center of Christmas, then what is one to do?
A REVELATION CHANGED EVERYTHING
While enrolled at Bible school, I had my eyes on a Polish beauty (and I still do to this day!). After much prayer, I felt led to pursue her. But I wrestled with a lingering question: What is the right way to do this?
This was the heyday of I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. I’d read it along with several other books on Christian dating and courtship with differing ideas across the spectrum. I was confused. How do I do this the right way? My rear view mirror was littered with wreckage. The stakes were high.
Thankfully I read one more book—When Boy Meets Girl, also by Harris. This was a game changer for me. Fifteen years later I can still recall the revelation: Don’t get caught up in the outward do’s and do not’s—rather, set your heart to glorify Christ in everything.
Instead of fretting over what or what not to do, I simply sought to glorify Christ each step of the way.
The revelation freed my heart. Our primary aim was to glorify Christ as I would tread the unknown of courtship to marriage.
ADORE HIM
Back to your Christmas list. Write at the top: ADORE HIM. Instead of worrying about whether or not you’re doing it the right way, simply adore Him. That’s your to do in every situation. Another name for bubble level is spirit level. Adoring Christ is the “Spirit level” that will bring about a Christ-centered Christmas. Adoration from the heart centers Christ in spite of the runny noses, gridlock traffic, and lack of sleep.
My aim? Adore Him. The outcome? A Christ-centered perspective.
Burnt cookies? Adore Him.
Running late for the Christmas recital? Adore Him.
The clerk charged you twice for an item? Adore Him.
The intrusive in-laws come unannounced for the weekend? Adore Him (with your favorite Starbucks to lighten the mood).
Making Christ the center of your holiday season isn’t about having everything perfect without any hiccups. Rather it is choosing to adore Him even in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Christmas.
Brian Francis Hume, a husband of one Polish beauty; a father of two dashing daughters; and a pursuer of a threefold calling—intercessor, revivalist, and writer.