Celebrate the Christmas season with purpose
Author of Total Christmas Makeover
In
the bustle of the Christmas season, it can be easy to get swept up in all of
the things to do: decorating, cooking, socializing, and shopping. However, it
is important to pause and remember the priority should be to spend time
celebrating Christ’s birth and not forgetting to invite Jesus to His own party.
In Total Christmas Makeover: 31 Devotions
to Celebrate with Purpose (Abingdon Press), Melissa Spoelstra provides a practical
approach to helping families learn what it means to truly celebrate the Savior.
Q: What is a total Christmas makeover?
While we have no such specifics given
for our celebration of Christ’s birth because it comes from church history
rather than biblical mandate, we can glean some important principles about
celebration from Scripture. In studying the holy days God
instructed the Israelites to observe in the Old Testament, we notice three key
elements consistent in their practices. Rituals, including special gatherings,
particular foods and specific actions, helped God’s people remember His
faithfulness. Relationships were a key part of everything. Rest was mandated,
and stopping ordinary work helped people savor God’s goodness. As we think
about our Christmas rituals, relationships and time for rest, we can make
simple Spirit-led changes that will help us celebrate Jesus and bring
realignment to His mission. That is a total Christmas makeover.
Q: Some people thrive on the holiday
season while others dread it. What factors differentiate the enthusiasts from
those who would rather skip the holidays?
It
really is our attitude that differentiates us. Those who want to skip it may
have significant factors contributing to their posture. Perhaps they lost a
loved one this year, and Christmas marks a time of loss flooded with memories
of an absent person at their celebrations. Others may have complicated family
or friend situations or might be battling cancer or a serious illness. However,
many want to skip Christmas because their lists of things to do are
overwhelming. The hype of Christmas requires a lot of work and sometimes isn’t very
nourishing to the soul. Rediscovering enthusiasm for the season means stripping
away the excess and getting back to Christ. Waning enthusiasm can return when
we begin to ask good questions about how and why we celebrate. These devotions
are designed to do just that. When we redirect our focus, we can celebrate
Christ even through rough seasons of life.
Q: For those who feel like Scrooge or
the Grinch (most definitely secular characters) around Christmas, what kind of
self-examination should they do?
Feelings
are fickle at times. They can change from day to day when we take into account
our fatigue, workload, relational issues, etc. If we are consistently feeling
like Scrooge or Grinch throughout a longer period of time, then we need to do
some digging to get to the root of a pattern of feelings that isn’t
Christ-like. God is generous. We can never out-give Him. At Christmas,
generosity is highlighted and contagious. If we aren’t joining in that Holy
Spirit-led desire to give and serve, then we need to do a heart check. These
could be symptoms of something we can take action to reverse, such as lack of
prayer or study in God’s Word. Maybe we have isolated ourselves from a
community of believers and need to re-engage. Sometimes the issues run much
deeper to past abuse, grief or secret sin. A good counselor might be needed in
those cases to help us walk through our pain in a healthy way.
I’m
less concerned about doing what I think I “should” do and more focused on
spending time with the Savior I celebrate. I still love many of the rituals of
Christmas and continue to decorate, attend parties, incorporate family
devotions and prepare for special church services. I’m just more OK with saying
no to some things. I don’t have to attend every party we are invited to. With
teenagers, we now do weekly family devotions in December where they take turns
leading. I spend more moments savoring, singing and praying and less time
fretting, shopping and trying to make everything “just right.”
Q: So much of the Christmas season is
centered around the giving and receiving of gifts. How can we make over our
approach to gift-giving to be more Christ-focused and meaningful?
Q: Is Total Christmas Makeover intended to be used as a family devotional
or for the adults read and apply to their family time each day?
It
could be used either way. For adults whose small groups or Bible studies break
for December, it provides a daily reading to keep them in Scripture and
reflecting on the reason for the season. It includes Scripture, a devotion, a
prayer prompt and practical application ideas. These could be read and
discussed as a family or on an individual basis.
Q: The 31 devotionals go beyond
Christmas day. How do you transition readers into preparing for the new year
ahead?
The
last 10 devotions revolve around rest and preparation for a new year. It is
during times of rest when we can reflect on what we want to do differently in
the future. These devotions cover topics
such as balance, finding new strength and preparing to remember God’s gift of
Christ throughout the year ahead.
For more about
Melissa Spoelstra and Total Family
Makeover, visit melissaspoelstra.com. You can also
follow her on Facebook
(AuthorMelissaSpolestra) and Twitter (@MelSpoelstra).
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