The Christmas holiday season, when you celebrate the ultimate gift of God’s presence with you as Immanuel, is an excellent time to transform your personal space into a welcoming home that nurtures your family’s faith. By weaving the Bible’s timeless truths into your daily routines and holiday traditions, you can create a cozy, faith-filled home for the holidays. Here are seven ideas you can use to do so.
1. Let the music of the season be a spiritual soundtrack for your home: Music is a powerful tool for worshiping God, and the more you fill your home with Christmas music, the more you can create a faith-filled atmosphere there. Every day, turn on the Christmas music that plays in the background at home. You can listen to your favorite Christian radio station, create playlists of Christmas carols, or live stream Christmas songs online. Instead of focusing on secular holiday songs about Santa and snowmen, focus on sacred Christmas carols about the first Christmas when Jesus was born. When sacred songs like “Silent Night”, “Joy to the World,” or “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” play during your family’s time at home during the holidays, you all will regularly be reminded of the Bible’s Christmas story. Many Christmas carols have profound theological truths in their lyrics that you all can reflect on when you hear them. During dinner with your family, you can create a cozy family ritual of talking about each other’s favorite Christmas songs and playing them for each other. It can be interesting to look up the stories behind each person's favorite Christmas carols and discuss them together. You may also enjoy family sing-alongs during special times, like on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. As you listen to Christmas music together at home, talk about what especially inspires you. Colossians 3:16 encourages you to: “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” When you fill your home with music that celebrates the Christmas message, you’re letting that inspiring story dwell richly in your home.
2. Create a sacred space for prayer and meditation at home: Your home can be a multifunctional place, where work, school, and leisure all overlap. You can encourage yourself and your family members to build prayer and meditation habits they enjoy at home by dedicating a specific, cozy area as a “sacred space.” Reserve this space for everyone in your household to use for spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and meditation, as well as personal Bible reading, journaling, or any other spiritual practice they engage in. Ensure it’s a peaceful and accessible location. It doesn’t have to be a whole room; it can just be a comfortable chair tucked near a window with a warm blanket, an uncluttered table with a Bible and a simple candle, or even a place by your family’s nativity scene or Christmas tree. Let everyone know that they can use your home’s sacred space as a quiet retreat place during the holiday season. Encourage every family member to spend at least a few minutes of quiet time there each day, such as in the morning after waking up, just after lunch, or just before bedtime. As you all spend time in your home’s sacred space, think about how God’s Holy Spirit lives inside your home and inside your souls. The Bible points out in 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” Let your sacred space be a place where everyone in your family can look forward to communicating with God and experiencing his peace.
3. Share Jesus as the bread of life while you’re baking and cooking: Food makes people feel safe and connected, which is why the kitchen is the heart of the home during the holidays. However, you can turn baking from a chore into a way to express your faith. As you’re baking or cooking in your kitchen, talk to your family about how Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus says in John 6:35: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” He adds in John 6:51: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” You can thank Jesus for how he nourishes each of you when you say a prayer of grace before your meals. You can also eat mindfully, paying close attention to your senses while eating and reflecting on everything that had to happen for your food to reach you. Let the gratitude you feel for how Jesus blesses you motivate you to share food with people in need this holiday season. Consider inviting others over to eat dinner with you and your family. Make extra portions of your favorite holiday food – such as a casserole, Christmas cookies, or fresh bread – and deliver them to elderly neighbors or first responders on duty. This is a great way to practice Romans 12:13: “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” By using your kitchen to be generous, you can show your family that true comfort is found in giving to others, especially those who are often overlooked.
4. Explore Bible stories together: There are so many great Christmas books out there, but nothing beats the original Christmas story from the Bible. Bring that story to life at home. Take time each day to read a part of the Christmas story from the Bible together. You can include the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus before he came, such as Isaiah 9:6-7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” and Micah 5:2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”) In the Gospels, there are many stories to explore about how Jesus’ birth unfolded, including all that happened both before and after with Mary, Joseph, angels, and many other characters. Make it a cozy experience! Snuggle up on a sofa together in candlelight with hot chocolate, read the stories out loud, ask each other questions, and discuss what the verses mean for you today. Hebrews 4:12 tells you: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” When you focus on exploring Bible stories together, you’ll see God’s power at work in your hearts and minds this holiday season.
5. Declare your faith through how you decorate: Putting up Christmas decorations is a fun way to create a festive mood, but they’re also critical visual reminders of your faith. Put your manger scene in a prominent spot – like under your Christmas tree or on a large table in your living room – where you all can actually touch the pieces and retell the story of Jesus’ birth. You can also use ornaments with scripture or a tree dedicated to prayers that have been answered over the past year. Let every twinkling Christmas light inside and outside your home remind you that Jesus is the Light of the World. Matthew 5:16 says: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” When you decorate with purpose, your home can become a beautiful expression of your faith to everyone who lives there and to those who visit.
6. Start a tradition of giving: Giving gifts is a wonderful tradition, but it can easily become all about stuff because of our culture’s consumer approach to Christmas. To keep the focus on Jesus, try to de-commercialize the process. Discuss with them the importance of contribution over consumption. Teach your family that we give because God gave to us first. You can choose a specific charity or missionary to support together as a family gift. Another idea is the “Three Gifts” tradition, based on the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh from the Magi. Gold represents something of lasting value, frankincense represents something for worship, and myrrh represents something for the body or mind. As 2 Corinthians 9:7 says: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Giving cheerfully keeps your focus right where it belongs.
7. Establish home New Year traditions focused on future hope: The celebration doesn’t have to end on December 25th. Celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, which include the New Year, and can help you all look forward to with faith. Try starting a “Blessing Jar” tradition. Have everyone write down one blessing they’re grateful for from the past year or a prayer for the next. Read these aloud on New Year’s Eve and pray over them. This is a perfect way to remember Jeremiah 29:11-13 and let it inspire you all to seek God in the new year: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” When you all start the year this way, you start well – with gratitude and trust in God’s good plans for you all.
In conclusion, creating a cozy, faith-filled home can be a fun way to bless yourself and your family during the holiday season. By building an atmosphere that honors God at home, you can create a spiritual sanctuary that will help you all focus on what matters most together. So, leave your holiday stress at the door and look forward to experiencing more peace and joy together at home this Christmas and New Year!
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