Laced With Grace – Christian Devotions

Do you have room for Jesus?

By Guest Blogger December 9, 2011 Christmas, Holiday, Life, Reflection

You’ve heard the sappy old comparison before:

There was no room in the inn for Jesus (Luke 2:7). Is there room in your heart for Jesus?

Yes, the question is a bit corny and overdone. But I’ve been thinking about it seriously for the last few days. With the busyness of my life, am I truly giving Jesus top priority?

Let’s ask another question, very relevant to the season:

Is there room in your Christmas for Jesus?

Seriously. After all the garland and ornaments. In the midst of all the meal-planning and baking. After Christmas cards and shopping and wrapping and party-going… is there room in your Christmas for Jesus.

Do you have a “to-do” list for Christmas? If so it probably includes things like addressing the cards, baking the pies, cleaning the guest room, and decking the halls. Maybe your list is a shopping list and you will spend the next two weeks at the mall, WalMart, and the grocery store. Then you have to bring it all home and wrap it or cook it.

I certainly am not against gift-giving and celebrating. In fact, I’m all for it! I’ve been shopping and cooking the last couple of weeks. I also have a party or two on my calendar. But God has impressed me recently with the need to keep the reason for Christmas my top priority. “Jesus” should be at the top of every list.

How can we do that? How can we participate in the fun holiday traditions without allowing them to overshadow the reason for the celebration? We must constantly be on guard against it and we must also be intentional about keeping Jesus in the forefront.

Here are a few of the things our family has done over the years to keep our focus on Christ at Christmas:

  • We hang the Christmas Nail on the tree and talk about the truth that Jesus came to die. (This page shows you what the nail looks like and the poem that goes with it. You can also make your own with ribbon and large nails or spikes found at the hardware store. I’ve even given them away as gifts!)
  • The nativity set is our most cherished Christmas décor. It gets prime location!
  •  We give to those who are in need through an organization like Operation Christmas Child.
  • We attend Christmas Eve services. We worship Jesus before the gift-giving.
  • We bake a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve day.
  • We read the Christmas story from Matthew and Luke before heading to bed on Christmas Eve.

I would love to hear about the ways you and your families keep your focus on Christ at Christmas. Let’s talk!

Merry Christmas!

Kathy

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2 thoughts on “Do you have room for Jesus?”

  1. Denise

    Such a truthful post, bless you. People need to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season. We keep the focus on Jesus during this season, by baking a Birthday cake for Jesus, and having a party to celebrate His birth. Also, we read the Christmas Story on Christmas Eve. We give our hearts to Him at Christmas, and always.