The past couple of years, my Christmas cheer levels have been low. Of course, I've enjoyed the holiday season, of course, but I haven't really soaked it in and cherished it to its full potential. But this season, I don't want it to be that way. I want to love all that the holiday season comes with, and I'm determined to not let the devil steal my joy.
As I've been really thinking about what changes I need to make to truly enjoy this Christmas season, I realized that it came to the purpose of Christmas.
I've honestly grown kind of numb to the Christmas story and the message of Jesus' birth. I actually sat down with the Lord the other night and just confessed that I had no passion or desire to study the story of Jesus' birth again, just like every other year. I've become bored, and I think that's the root cause of my less than jolly Christmas cheer.
BUT.
I refuse to stay that way, and as I prayed more and more about it, I actually began getting excited about doing an incredibly deep dive on all of the facets of Jesus' birth. The Lord is developing a desire in my heart to understand in a new way who Jesus is and how the Christmas story reveals more of His character.
The reality is, Christmas is more than just taking cute pictures and checking everything off the to-do list. It's more than buying and receiving gifts. It's more than baking and watching Hallmark movies. It's more than looking at Christmas lights and listening to Christmas music. It's even more than spending time with family. Ultimately, Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, and if we're doing everything else but that, we're missing the entire point.
So, this season, I'm actually going incredibly deep into the Christmas story. I'm learning about the context of Jesus' birth in a very new way, and it's been so eye opening. I have plans to continue to dive into the rest of Jesus' birth, including His ancestry, each person that was part of His story, and more. Every night, I genuinely look forward to spending time with the Lord, asking Him for discernment, and continuing my research. There are so many little, tiny, intentional details weaved into the Christmas story that I never would have recognized if I haven't started looking for them, and it makes me so grateful for the God we serve. My God is a God of beautiful details, full of purpose and meaning, and He is the one carefully crafting each of our stories. Wow!
That means that when we're lacking Christmas cheer, we have to step back and regain perspective on the whole meaning of Christmas. We have to remember the reason why we celebrate Christmas in the first place, and when we begin to understand the beauty and blessing of Jesus' birth, it's hard to not want to celebrate.
I'm also learning how important it is that we are present. Of course, Jesus is the most important part of the holiday, but if we actually want to enjoy the season and overflow with Christmas cheer, we have to be embracing all of the Christmas-y things. Whatever that looks like for you and your people, get out there and be a part of it! Make all the memories. For me, it's been as simple as going out in the snow with my siblings to have a snowball fight and take pictures, getting cozy with Christmas pjs and a warm drink, or jamming out to Christmas music. I've been full of so much more Christmas cheer and enjoying the season significantly more because I've been trying to be more intentional about "living up" this season and making those memories.
No matter what that looks like for you, be intentional about enjoying this Christmas season. Step back and remember the true meaning of Christmas - Jesus - and make sure that He's the One that we really are celebrating. Step back and prioritize making memories with your people, participating in all of the Christmas festivities and activities. That, my friends, are the two major things that we need to do to enjoy the holiday season and reclaim our Christmas cheer.
I am genuinely SO excited for Christmas this year, and I am so thankful for both the things the Lord is teaching me and the memories that I've been making so far. Between reflecting on the reason for the season (JESUS!) and embracing all of the holiday activities, I can tell a difference in my Christmas cheer. This time of year is such a special time, and I don't want to take any of it for granted this year.
How do you reclaim your Christmas cheer? What's your favorite part of this season? Let me know down in the comments below; I love to hear from you!
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