How to Actually Have a Wonderful, Christ-centered Christmas

We’re in Week 4 of the Series on “How to Schedule For a Calm, Christ-Centered Christmas.” Sometimes I even think, “It’s way too early to think about Christmas!” But, the fact is that we try to do too much in too short a time over the holidays, and it overwhelms us every year! You want a memorable Christmas and a Christ-centered one this year! There have been years when I had a meltdown mid-December, and I’d really like you to avoid that. It may be still be a stressful Christmas–we don’t know what God will allow us to go through–but you can be intentional, and plan ahead, have a calendar with events calmly thought through, and ask Him to help you plan now. It’s important to pray, and listen to God, each step of the way.

How do I actually have a wonderful christ-centered Christmas
How do I actually have a Christ Christmas

We must trust the LORD, and come to Him with all our thoughts, ideas, and plans. If we leave Him out of our planning, how is that a Christ-Centered Christmas? It probably won’t be Calm, either. If you are someone who thrives on busyness, and you like the tension (and motivation) that doing things at the last minute gives you, I’d suggest you look around at how this is affecting those you love and influence. I have been that person, and oblivious to how others perceived it or how it impacted them. Let’s schedule differently this year.

Click on the links below to Read all the Posts in “How to Schedule for a Calm, Christ-centered Christmas” (8-Weeks’ Schedule):

How to Actually Have a Christ-Centered Christmas | Your Home For God
How to Actually Have a Christ-Centered Christmas

Disclaimer:  This post contains affiliate links, which just means that I may get a small commission if you click on an affiliate link and as a result make a purchase. I only recommend products and services that I use myself, know to be excellent quality, and/or know will help and benefit you! 

Two Things We Women Do

There are two things I see us, as women, do. Either:

1) We don’t plan at all, and we love to be spontaneous, and think this is way more fun for our family. We revere our own spontaneity, almost hold it as a religion! We are super creative, move as the wind blows, are emotion and feelings-led, and get whims and notions, changing course on a dime. We are exciting to live with, we think.

The other thing we women do is:

2) We rely on ourselves. We work hard, plan like crazy, are in control of every detail, always fulfill what we say we’ll do, have and hold our traditions, again, as though it’s a religion, and make everything super special. We wouldn’t think of changing anything, and come hell or high water, we will do it all! Our family can totally count on Christmas to be “the most wonderful time of the year”!

This woman looks more admirable on the outside. Her husband has come to rely on her, and knows exactly what to expect. She wouldn’t dream of deviating from what she’s always done. She works hard. She is in control, and she loves her family.

At Christmas, Which of These Two Kinds of Women Are You | Your Home For God
At Christmas, Which of These Two Kinds of Women Are You?

As Christian women, though, both of these examples have some flaws. They are just a bit “off,” in some ways.

There are reasons you are the way you are, but we all need to evaluate how God would have us change and grow. Let’s, though, assume that we all want to have a Calm, Christ-Centered Christmas (CCCC). 

Often the person who is the second woman–in control, relying on herself, kind of person–has good memories of how it was, how it used to be, perhaps. She has fond memories of how it was when she was a girl. She sometimes wants to recreate the past, in all its goodness. And, her heart’s in the right place, for she truly loves her family, and wants them to have a wonderful Christmas.

The part that is “off” is that she tends to be a little bit of a control-freak, and she relies on her own efforts more than she should. She isn’t leading her family to rely on Christ enough. She isn’t relying on Christ enough. You don’t see the control very much because she looks like she’s serving her family. 

How to Actually Have a Wonderful Christ-centered Christmas | Your Home For God
How to Actually Have A Wonderful Christ – Centered Christmas

And, frankly, her husband lets her have control more and more, because his life is easier that way! He doesn’t have to worry about anything. He knows what to expect. His life is pretty smooth, as long as he doesn’t go against her plans. And, for the most part, it’s a pretty good life, and he doesn’t want to change anything! He has learned not to make waves. It’s easier to just go along, and it has been ok so far, so he doesn’t have a strong reason to change anything. 

The fact is, he may be a little like her in his desire for everything to go exactly as planned, and to have everything neat and orderly, organized, planned to the smallest detail.

The problem is that he is not really the head of the home, as God prescribes in His Word. She is. There’s an interesting portion of Scripture where Jesus is speaking to His disciples in the Bible that explains this, to a degree. Matthew 20:26-27, “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant…” To me this says, “You want to be great? Be the servant of all. He who serves is in control, he is the head. This was My example.”

How to Actually Have a Christ-Centered Christmas | Your Home For God
How to Actually Have a Christ-Centered Christmas

If the couple are Christians, and the husband is being led by the Spirit, there will be things that the Holy Spirit will prompt him to change, ideas that the Holy Spirit will give him, things that he will be convicted of to do differently, and God will lead him to do new things, in a different way. God will stretch that man, put pressure on him, and cause the family to grow under his leadership. That’s the way of the LORD.

So, then, how can the husband of the second wife I’ve described come to her with an idea to disrupt the smooth-sailing way things are going, in order to follow the prompting of the LORD?  It’s always been this way! He will hesitate to even bring it up. He will make excuses that sounds reasonable for why he didn’t respond to the LORD with, “Here am I, send me,” or “Yes, LORD.” God desires to change the status quo. God takes us out of the boat to walk on water, and will always take us way out of our comfort zone. And, that’s not the way she works. She likes to know what’s going to happen.

Now, the spontaneous wife, the creative, fun mom makes Christmas memories, but it’s pretty chaotic at times! The house is a mess, but there are fabulously-decorated cookies on the counter! Who knows if her husband will have clean underwear to wear on Sunday morning to church, but the costume she whipped up at the last minute last night for her child to wear in the Christmas program today will be raved about for years to come!

At Christmas, Which of These Two Kinds of Women Are You | Your Home For God
At Christmas, Which of These Two Kinds of Women Are You?

The children will have a willing participant to their ideas to skip the disciplined approach to whatever should have been done today, in favor of showing love to their grandparents, neighbors, or that person in need. She is beloved to everyone, and there for everyone. Her identity is wrapped up in that. It’s hard for her husband to complain, when she’s doing “good deeds” and the kids are happy and healthy, but sometimes he wishes he knew what to expect when he walked in the door at night.

Christmas is a wild ride. Very fun, very creative, but very last-minute. Working on homemade gifts into the wee hours of the night the night before Christmas. Everything is done just before  it needs to be given, eaten, or presented (or a little bit late). It’s difficult for her to say no to anything. She wants to please everyone. They need her.

Let me also say, how can the husband of this wife–the spontaneous, unplanned wife–come to her with an idea or prompting from the LORD, either, when they’re just flying by the seat of their pants, barely keeping up?! He also may be hesitant.

So, both these women are right and they are wrong.

Because they are human. They are you and me.

How to Actually Have a Wonderful Christ-centered Christmas | Your Home For God
How to Actually Have A Wonderful Christ – Centered Christmas

I have been both of these women. I was spontaneity supreme as a young woman. Then I learned planning, scheduling, and getting ahead. I found the peace that brought, and realized that a good name was more in alignment with being prepared, counting the cost, praying through my decisions, not committing to more than I could handle.

For some reason, though, God would never allow me to become the other extreme. First of all, I don’t have a husband who will let me have control:) That’s a good thing. But, the spontaneity, and the Holy Spirit, kicked in to led me to change. I also make mistakes. So often that I didn’t/couldn’t rely on myself as some women do. I look on at their lives mystified. How do they do that? It is not possible for me. God doesn’t allow me to succeed on that level!

For me, it’s been a good thing to not be able to do it exactly the same every year, every time to perfection. The glitches, the unexpected mishaps, sickness, accidents, etc., keep me humble, and relying on God.

I have gone off on a tangent in this post, because I want to address the tendencies that we have that sometimes cause us not to have a Christ-Centered Christmas, never mind Calm! You may have asked yourself how this scheduling way ahead, doing all the things weeks in advance made it a Christ-centered Christmas. It doesn’t, in and of itself. It has to happen in the heart.

How to Actually Have a Christ-Centered Christmas | Your Home For God
How to Actually Have a Christ-Centered Christmas

A Christ-centered Christmas Begins in the Heart

When I encourage you to think ahead, to plan, and to do all the preparation weeks before the event, I also want you to be praying. Ask God what He wants your Christ-Centered Christmas to look like. I firmly believe it won’t look the same year after year!  And it won’t look the same for any two women! I believe when you ask Him each year, He will bring needs to your attention to meet, ministry opportunities, giving opportunities, ways to celebrate Him, that will change from year to year.

If you are prepared and ahead, you will be better able to respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. That’s my opinion. That’s my experience. I believe that’s what the Bible teaches. That’s why I encourage you to plan, prepare, do the work…ahead…way ahead. But, you MUST rely on the LORD God, while you’re doing it. You MUST hold your plans loosely. You MUST keep listening to Him, and trusting Him, not become proud, not rely on yourself, not make your plans and preparation a religion. Not communicate to others that they are “less-than” because they don’t do it like you! Not insist on your own way. You cannot make your family miserable, nor can you be in control.

Which of these two kinds of women are you and is it contributing to a Calm, Christ-Centered Christmas?”

Wendy Gunn

At Christmas, Which of These Two Kinds of Women Are You | Your Home For God
At Christmas, Which of These Two Kinds of Women Are You?

I Wish I Knew What a Picture-perfect Christmas Was

I have become increasingly aware, during this pandemic, that I am a rule-follower! I didn’t know this about myself! I really want it written down exactly what I’m supposed to do. I would have made a great Pharisee. (sigh) I have a tendency to the sin of setting up my own righteousness, by deciding what is the “right” thing to do, and then thinking I’m “good” because I do it.

There’s no “perfect Christmas” or “picture-perfect Christmas” for you to aim for. Sorry. God is in the business of conforming us to the image of Christ. The Bible is full of messy stories, our lives are messy, our Christmases will be, too. Relationships are imperfect, we are sinful people, even if we got it all “right” we’d be proud, and then it wouldn’t be “perfect” anymore! Please this week, ask God what a Christ-Centered Christmas will look like for you and your family. Seek Him, be willing to be spontaneous, if you are super-planned, and be willing to plan ahead, if you are super-spontaneous. Be led by the Holy Spirit.

Here is my 8-week Schedule for a Calm, Christ-Centered Christmas, to have you pretty much finished with the major things in preparation for Christmas by Thanksgiving! This will leave you the month of December to really focus on Jesus, celebrating Him, spending time with your family, worshiping, doing any fun Christmas activities you want–maybe even spontaneous ones–doing crafts, fun Christmas baking, and actually enjoying the pre-planned events that happen! But, no matter when you start, you will be better off than if you didn’t start at all!

Get my All Is Calm Christmas Bundle to upgrade to get all the bonuses, including this 8-Weeks to A Calm, Christ-Centered Christmas Planner/Calendar of Printables:

8-Week Printables for a Calm Christ-Centered Christmas| Your Home For God

​8-Week Printables for a Calm Christ-Centered Christmas| Your Home For God

Week 4 Schedule: for a Calm, Christ-Centered Christmas

  • Sign one third of your Christmas cards.
  • Address one third of your Christmas cards.
  • Purchase Christmas stamps, if they have them, but don’t affix until you know that you won’t be able to hand deliver them.
  • Set up a Gift-wrap center in an inconspicuous part of your house, if you can, or where you can watch Christmas shows while wrapping:) Begin wrapping the gifts that you’ve purchased and label them.
  •  Continue purchasing gifts (online, if possible).
  • Keep Christmas gifts on a shelf away from curious family members.
  • Shop for clothes for events coming up.
  • Eat healthy and get exercise.
How to Actually Have a Christ-Centered Christmas | Your Home For God
How to Actually Have a Christ-Centered Christmas

Click on the links below to Read all the Posts in “How to Schedule for a Calm, Christ-centered Christmas” (8-Weeks’ Schedule):

This Series is not to make you put pressure on yourself. It’s to encourage you. It’s not to make you have a list of additional things to do. It’s to help you be more ready to respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Don’t feel like you have to do any of it! But, if you are already doing a lot of these things, or planning to, then here are tips for getting them done ahead. Because, in the end, the goal is a Calm, Christ-Centered Christmas that glorifies God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, His Son.

Go from Basket Case to Blessed this Christmas! Get my All Is Calm Christmas Workshop!

Have a Great Day Making Your Home For God!

Wendy Gunn at Your Home For God helps Christian women raise Godly kids, find & fulfill their purpose and achieve God's goals for their life.

I help Christian moms raise their kids according to Biblical principles, get organized to manage life, achieve their unique God-given goals and dreams, and fulfill God’s purpose for them to make a difference in the world through my workshops, courses, and coaching founded on Biblical principles. You are already successful in many areas. I can help you in those that you’re not. Dream big dreams, and see God transform and use your life in amazing ways! Let’s work together for your success!

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