4 Ways to Keep Christ at the Center of Christmas When Life Is Loud
Christmas and Advent
Audio By Carbonatix
By Jaime Jo Wright, Crosswalk.com
Oh, the noise! The hustle and the bustle! My sister sent me a picture this week as she tried to find a pair of socks for a Christmas gift. Who knew buying socks could be so dangerous? She was being elbowed and shoved. Hands were reaching in front of her and grabbing, and one very helpful woman took my sister’s cart and moved it (purse and all) several aisles away, so my sister had to chase after it and thus vacate her spot in the sock section.
Is Christmas loud to you?
In contrast to my sister, I’ve been hiding like a hermit, but that’s more because my to-do list is so long that I’ll need an extra three months to finish out this year before I can start a new one. Twelve-hour days at my computer are nothing, right now, and for some reason, my kids also want my attention—and my husband, too! How on earth am I supposed to keep Christ at the center of Christmas when life is so loud I can barely hear myself think? Sure, it would be great to curl up in the morning with a cup of coffee, devos, my Bible, and the pleasant sighs of the Christmas spirit. But I pretty much am hitting the ground running, or, in my sister’s case, running from getting hit.
So I did pause for a moment (shocking!) and tried to think of ways to lessen the noise this Christmas. Because I want to fully appreciate the meaning of this time of year. I want to wonder in the birth of Christ. I want to learn what He wishes to teach me. Here is just a sample of ideas that showed themselves to me:
1. Begin the Day with Scripture, Not Noise
Okay, I know I did just crack a little joke about curling up with coffee and devos, but the reality is, I can start my day in God’s Word. For some reason, there’s this idea in my head that meeting with God and reading Scripture has to be a minimum of thirty minutes and must take place in quiet solitude. But no! I can take a few minutes and read just one or two verses. My phone app can read them to me, for goodness’ sake, and if I’m really honest, I can do some reprioritizing and probably turn that two-minute Scripture verse time into fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes where I breathe deep, I push aside all the busy and loud, and I just listen. We’re encouraged to “be still”. Christmas is the perfect time to start practicing that. A few verses. That’s all I’m suggesting. Can you do it with me?
“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.”
— Psalm 42:2
2. Create One Sacred Daily Pause
My teenage daughter’s latest word is “Pause!” She says it pretty much anytime she is flabbergasted by something in a conversation or is confused. But I was thinking. Why not yell “pause” at least once a day? A sacred pause. This would be like the fifteen minutes we mentioned above, but not necessarily the first thing in the morning. This is a good mid-afternoon pause. A time to put aside the loud, light a candle (or download a candle app to your phone and turn it on), and then take a moment to pause and pray. Take a moment to meditate. To just be quiet. That’s probably not quite what my daughter was thinking when she first started saying “pause”, but I’m going to go thank her now for the idea.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
— Psalm 46:10
3. Trade Perfection for Presence
Okay, fine. I guess I don’t need my house to be spotless for Christmas. In fact, my best friend told me she prefers it when my house isn’t perfectly clean and picked up because it allows her to feel better about herself. I was going to hang my Christmas banners over the windows, and I wanted to have presents wrapped in color-coordinated wrapping paper. Plus, the tree. Oy! The tree is a smattering of aesthetically concerning ornaments, and don’t get me started on the fact that I have six loads of laundry to do on top of my day job. But what is this striving for perfection? Doesn’t it boil down to image? Which boils down even further to an element of pride or self-conceived, trying to be something we’re not capable of being? How about, if this Christmas, we set aside our magnanimous imaginings that we can achieve a level of perfection, and instead practice being present. Practice taking in the moment we’re in. Being with people—truly being with them—and having lasting, meaningful conversations. Yes, some things need to be done (like laundry), but in the end, if the Christmas tree is a hodgepodge, but you have time to sit and enjoy making homemade ornaments with your child, isn’t that what being present is all about?
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”
— Psalm 145:18
4. Choose Worship Music Over Background Noise
A lot can be said about what we have going on in the background, and it can be just that—noise. Now may be a good time to invest in some earbuds, or if you have the privilege of turning music on in the background of your day, consider choosing worship music. Worship can bring our spirits into a place of calm. It can deaden the outside loudness of life. It can help to refocus our minds and hearts where they should be focused. Centering ourselves in the truth of Christ! I think sometimes we forget how influential music is to our stress and anxiety. Often, our days are filled with mind-numbing noise or the chaos of a thousand conversations going on in the background. If you can retreat into worship while accomplishing what you need to, you will probably find yourself leaving your daily tasks with a much calmer presence. And! You will have invited Christ into the center of your day, your duties, and yes, your Christmas.
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.”
— Ephesians 5:19
When we cut away the noise of Christmas, we make room for the Lord’s peace and His message that He wishes to speak to our hearts. It’s in the stillness that we find Christ—steady, present, and near. Whether it’s reading Scripture, taking time to pause, being present, and worshipping, all of it contributes to a discipline of setting our minds on Christ. Then, somehow the loud becomes more still, and we find ourselves at the manger, worshipping in joy for the coming of the Savior of the World.
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
— John 1:14
You don’t have to silence the season to find Christ—just make room for Him. This Christmas, may we seek Christ first and discover that He has been near all along.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Natalia Lebedinskaia
Jaime Jo Wright is an ECPA and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author. Her novel “The House on Foster Hill” won the prestigious Christy Award and she continues to publish Gothic thrillers for the inspirational market. Jaime Jo resides in the woods of Wisconsin, lives in dreamland, exists in reality, and invites you to join her adventures at jaimewrightbooks.com and at her podcast madlitmusings.com where she discusses the deeper issues of story and faith with fellow authors.
