“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her,” (Luke 10: 41-42 NIV).
Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and worship Him rather than help her sister in the kitchen. Although this isn’t a traditional Christmas scripture, these words spoke to me as I prepared for this holiday season: make it holy.
How can I make this Christmas season holy? Keep my focus on Jesus; avoid the commercialization and remember, “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
At our house the focal point is on nativity scenes. I have several (at least seven) that I display, including a Fisher Price nativity that has been on the fireplace hearth since our first grandchild was born twenty years ago. We depend on a variety of family activities to prepare our hearts for Christmas. Perhaps there will be an idea for your family to try this year:
- Attend Advent worship on Sunday
- Attend special programs such as the Christmas Eve worship
- Read the scriptures daily until Christmas: Matthew 1:18-2:12, Luke 1:26-56, 2:1-20; and John 1:1-18
- Share family devotionals at mealtime or bedtime
- Spend time meditating on the miracle of Jesus’ birth and praising God for sending His Son
- Play Christmas carols
- Create a Christmas prayer list and include the ill, the shut-in, the lonely, the grieving
- Give gifts to a needy child or family
- Bake cookies together
- Deliver plates of cookies or fresh fruit to shut-ins or new neighbors
- Show appreciation to those people who make your life better: postal person, police officers, fire persons, pastors, teachers, bus drivers, or neighbors
- Use Christian symbols to decorate the Christmas tree
- Go Christmas caroling to shut-ins in your neighborhood
- Display an outdoor nativity so others are reminded of Jesus this season
- Attend presentations of Handel’s “The Messiah” or Christian concerts
- Make or choose Christian Christmas cards to send
- Watch Christian Christmas movies (The Nativity Story, Veggie Tales’ The Toy That Saved Christmas, Max Lucado’s The Christmas Candle)
The scripture shared above reminds me of what is important this season. As I prepare the house and our lives for Christmas, I want to choose what is better, what one thing is needed—make Christmas holy by honoring our Savior’s birth.
by Gloria Stewart