Christmas Encouragement for MomsНамуна

Whose Birthday are We Celebrating?

Christmas is right around the corner! You’re almost to the finish line, mama! So how is your Christmas going, sweet friend? Are you feeling stressed by all the preparations and demands on your time? Is the thought of traveling or hosting family beginning to cause you anxiety? Do you feel hopeful this wonderful Christmas season or just plain stressed out?

Why does Christmas, the season where we celebrate the birth of our loving Savior, make us crabby and grouchy? Why do we seem to get annoyed with family members at a time when we should be showing them the most love? Why do we easily engage in conflict over our wants and desires?

Perhaps the answer lies in adjusting our expectations and dreams of how we want our Christmas to look and feel. After all, it is Jesus' birthday, not ours! When we think of celebrating Christmas in the light of the desires of Jesus’ heart for His children, it changes everything! We begin to shift the focus away from ourselves and onto Christ and surrender our will to His. This one change in our thinking can revolutionize this time of year for our families and deepen our relationships with the Lord and with others.

So how would Jesus want us to celebrate His birthday? This is a great question to ask. Just like we spend time pondering and thinking about how to make our children’s birthdays special, we should do the same for the birthday of our Savior. Today, we celebrate the birth of Jesus! Below is a little list of the highlights of how Jesus would probably like His birthday celebrated:

1. Spend time with the Birthday Boy and tell Him how much you love and appreciate Him. Sing a little worship song to Him today (Psalm 96:1).

2. Read some of His love letters to us. Jesus took a lot of time and effort to write a beautiful story for us and He wants us to read it (Matthew 4:4)!

3. Love one another! Do your best today to love the people Jesus brings across your path (John 13:34).

4. Remember the poor! Be generous with the blessings God has given you (Proverbs 19:17).

5. Forgive and forget! Jesus forgave us immensely, and we are called to do the same (Ephesians 4:32).

6. Laugh with those who laugh and mourn with those who mourn (Romans 12:15). Be happy with the people in your lives who are happy, but don’t forget to remember those who are hurting. Do something nice for them today.

7. Focus on others (Philippians 4:3). We are always happier when we think about what other people want instead of just ourselves. God made our hearts to work that way.

8. Ask Jesus to fill you up with His joy and love for people. Pray and ask Him to help you love them well!

I pray you have a wonderful Christmas! Happy Birthday, Jesus! 

We love you!

Deb Weakly and the Help Club for Moms Team  

“Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still, more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues.” ~Brother Lawrence