“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Well, at least that’s what we find ourselves singing during the Christmas season! But it’s easy to get so caught up in the holiday festivities that we lose sight of what’s really important—celebrating the coming of Christ and having intimacy with God during Christmas.
Why Intimacy with God During Christmas Is Important
The sounds and sights of the Christmas season are everywhere. There are the highly anticipated Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday sales with every opportunity imaginable to be consumed with shopping deals. Stores and streets are bustling, coffee shops are filled, vacations are planned, and calendars are overflowing with added festive Christmas events and activities. There are tree lighting ceremonies around the world, downtown streets creating their own version of Hallmark movies, and it’s the time of year when a fresh snowfall can quickly bring the appearance of a newly shaken snow globe!
These can all be wonderful things. But in the midst of the increased busyness, we need to remain intentional to keep intimacy with God during Christmas our main focus. Remember, as the old saying goes, “Jesus is the reason for the season!” How is it that we can get busy with so many amazing things that we basically, in a very passive way, tell God we don’t have time for Him?
Good things can easily fill our calendars and compete with our mission rather than complete our mission. More than anything else, God desires us to live intimately with Him each and every day. Does our heartbeat reflect His heartbeat today?
Intimacy with God should be at the forefront of our daily agenda, especially during the Christmas season. After all, we are celebrating His coming!
Like many people, I love the Christmas season and all that it holds, but I also have spent Christmas seasons in years gone by so focused on the extra celebrations that I have lost sight of Christ the King and spreading His love.
Have you experienced that, too?
Before we know it, the Christmas season has come and gone, and we realize that we quickly jumped into all of the extra activities, gift buying, and holiday sales and yet left the Author and Perfector of our Faith over to the sidelines. It must be heartbreaking for God to watch us when we get so busy celebrating without Him and lose sight of the true meaning of the season and intimacy with God during Christmas.
13 Ways to Fuel Intimacy with God During Christmas
I have found several things to be helpful as I choose to be intentional in focusing on intimacy with God during Christmas. Perhaps there may be an idea or two that you can add to the top of your list, not as another “to-do,” but as something to help you keep Christ the focus this holiday season!
Here are some things you can consider to help fuel your intimacy with God during Christmas:
- Pray and ask God to help you grow in intimacy with Him this Christmas. Take momentary breaths to pause and pray throughout the day. Joy will continue to flood your heart as you lean into Him more and more.
- Continue or even begin to read your Bible daily and ask God to speak to you. No matter how crazy your schedule may get, make it a priority in the morning to read your Bible and spend time with God before your day gets too busy.
- Take time to journal! Record where you see God at work, what you are thankful for, dreams in your heart, and the prayers you are praying. Consider starting an Advent journal where you note His movement in your life just during these few weeks each year. You can pack it away with the Christmas decorations and then get it out again each year to celebrate all He has done and is doing.
- Listen to Christmas worship and classic Christmas hymns throughout the day to remind you of Jesus’ miraculous birth. We have so much to be thankful for.
- Schedule a Date Alone with God to help you hit reset and recharge with the One who is worthy of it all! After all, we set time aside for everyone else, so why not the One most precious to us?
- Read the story of Christ’s birth in the Scriptures a few times throughout the season and on Christmas morning (Matthew 1 and 2 or Luke 1 and 2). Ask God to give you fresh insight and revelation into His timeless story.
- Find a group of friends interested in studying an Advent or Christmas devotional or Bible Study together throughout the season.
- Read an Advent book every night during the Christmas Season with your spouse, children, or grandchildren.
- Attend an Advent tea or worship service at a local church and reflect on the Advent season.
- Bake a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas day and celebrate Him as the honored guest.
- Make it a priority to attend a Christmas Eve and/or Christmas service.
- Be generous in praying, giving, and volunteering. Put God first in your calendar and your finances, and be expectant for Him to show up and reveal Himself more and more to you.
- Make memories and create Christmas traditions that are Christ-centered!
Keep Focused on God This Christmas!
Intimacy with God during Christmas, and every day thereafter, is birthed out of time spent with Him. We can’t expect to know God more and be intimate with Him if we allow our schedule to rob us of our time with Him. Don’t lose sight of the Master in the midst of many “good things.” He is worthy of all our time and attention.
If you are looking for more tools and resources to help you keep your heart focused on God and make intimacy with God during Christmas a priority, consider downloading the Forge App. There are also many great books in our store designed to equip Kingdom Laborers like you to keep intimacy with God a focus during Christmas and beyond!
May the passion in your heart for Him burn intensely as a warm, cozy fireplace on Christmas day!
