“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 ESV)

It’s easy to get caught up in the to-dos and materialism of Christmas. There are so many activities and so many gifts to purchase. And while giving and receiving gifts is exciting, the greatest gift we can ever receive came as a tiny newborn baby in a lowly manger all those years ago. It’s up to us to receive this gift! So we can always be praying that our kids will accept God’s gift, believe in him, and love him all the days of their lives.

The book of Luke tells us that when Jesus was born, shepherds worshiped and spread the word, angels sang, and Mary treasured all those moments up in her heart and pondered them (Luke 2:19). As we approach Christmas day, let’s focus our attention on those same acts. As a family let’s worship the Lord, spread his good news, sing songs of adoration and celebration, and let’s store up the memories and meaning in our hearts so that we can remember God’s great gift to us all year long.

This week, let’s pray that our kids grow to know and love the true meaning of Christmas and that they would focus less on consumerism and sparkle, and more on the good news of Jesus.

Father God, thank you for sending us the greatest gift when you sent your Son to be born. May we all focus on you this season, not on the stress, pressure, or things. May _____________ remember that Christmas should be fun, but the most important part about it is you. Amen.

Pardon The Mess is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. For more information visit www.ChristianParenting.org