The weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are often cited as the busiest time of the year.
Despite the fun and excitement of the holiday season, many become overwhelmed with all the things going on and the need to make everything perfect, and as a result, fail to truly enjoy the weeks surrounding Christmas.
This is just as true for church leaders as you try to plan events and remember the true reason for the celebratory time. But it’s easy to get bogged down in all of the preparations and forget the importance of the occasion.
Keeping your eyes on Christ throughout the most wonderful time of the year can be difficult when it’s also one of the busiest seasons in the life of your church.
From the moment your fall festival is over until the end of the year, you’re focused on planning and executing one thing after another.
There’s nothing wrong with being busy or with filling your calendar with activities that engage and excite your congregation about celebrating together. But if you take your eyes off of Jesus, you’ll likely end up frustrated and annoyed by the season rather than rejoicing in the birth of the Savior.
So, how do you maintain your focus on Jesus when dozens of things vie for your attention?
1. Prioritize Yourself and Your Family
We get it. That sounds completely opposite to what serving in a church is supposed to be about. But give us a second to explain.
When you’re part of the church staff or a key volunteer who spends hours on campus, there are lots of things that demand your time and energy.
It’s not unusual for your spouse to handle the bedtime routine alone because an event needs to be cleaned up or to miss a family gathering. After all, a church member needed you at the hospital.
While those are things that come with serving in ministry, they can easily become tools of the Enemy to pull your focus away from your Creator.
There will be times when it’s a challenge to balance your personal discipleship journey, family obligations, and the needs of your church.
But one of the best ways to keep your eyes on Jesus this holiday season is to prioritize your walk with Him and the needs of your family.
Spend time daily in His Word this holiday season. Don’t neglect your personal prayer and study time. God will speak to you through this season if you let Him.
And make sure you don’t allow yourself to become so busy doing all of the things your church needs that you miss out on the magic of the holidays with your family.
Your spouse, children, grandchildren, and other family members need you to model what it looks like to really understand what the holiday season is all about. They need you to show them how to do all of the fun and exciting things without taking your eyes off of Jesus.
2. Determine Your “Why” Behind Your Seasonal Activities
When it comes to the activities on both your personal and church calendars, you need to have a “why.”
Why is your church planning to do a winter carnival? Why are you taking your kids to see Christmas lights over an hour away from home?
The things you choose to do aren’t necessarily bad, but when you’re being pulled in lots of directions, you need to have a reason for everything you do so you can prioritize your schedule.
If the reason your ministry is planning a specific event is that you’ve done it for years, it’s time to look at whether you should keep doing it.
Are you seeing good engagement with your congregation? Is it an effective outreach tool for connecting with your community during the Christmas season? Or is it a drain on your budget and a burden on your volunteers?
If you’re only taking your family to do something because you think you have to, you’re more likely to resent your time spent together rather than enjoying it.
Having a “why” behind both your church and personal activities is always important, but it’s especially needed during this time.
You don’t want to miss out on the wonder because you’re too bogged down by the things on your calendar.
3. Make Everything About Him
No matter what you do, it should all lead you back to Jesus.
Even when you aren’t doing “church-y” things, you can still keep your eyes on Jesus by speaking and acting as He would have you.
When you’re doing your daily Bible study, look for Him. When you’re at a Christmas party, look for Him. When you’re preparing for a candlelight service, look for Him.
The best way to keep your eyes on Jesus this holiday season is to keep Him at the front of your mind through every event and activity, making everything about Him.
Christmas has the potential to truly be the most wonderful time of the year if you keep your eyes on what the season is all about.
It sounds cliché, but the truth is that there wouldn’t be a Christmas without Him. Sure, there would be other celebrations and occasions, but Christmas carries the weight that it does because it’s in honor of the Savior of the world.
Keeping your eyes on Jesus can be difficult under normal circumstances, but it’s even more vital that you hold Him close during the busyness of this season.
And it’s possible if you prioritize yourself and your family, determine your “why” for all of your seasonal activities, and make everything about Him.
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