It’s almost Christmas! As we celebrate and anticipate the birth of our Lord and Savior, it creates special moments for us to foster faith in the hearts of our children.
Throughout the Bible, we see this eagerness and anticipation played out as God laid out a plan and His believers awaited the fulfillment of a promise.
Abraham waited a very long time to have the children that God had promised (Genesis 21:5). David awaited to be the king of Israel (2 Samuel 5:4). Job waited on deliverance through suffering (James 5:11). These stories, and many more, capture the nature of God’s faithfulness.
As we share the Christmas story with our family, we see each of the characters, from the lowly shepherds to the angelic hosts, become filled with anticipation, awaiting the time to proclaim and rejoice in the faithfulness of God.
Then it happened! The prophecy was fulfilled, and God’s promise had rung true once again! A Savior had come to save the world (Luke 2:11).
This marks the season of Advent. A word that declares, “Arrival!” Advent is the eager excitement of the coming of Christ!
The best part is that Advent is two-fold as we celebrate the first arrival of Jesus in His humble birth and look forward to a second Advent when He returns (Revelations 1:7).
While Advent is generally celebrated during the four weeks before Christmas, signifying the weeks that lead up to Christmas Day, it essentially provides a way to focus on sights on Jesus and what His birth means for all of mankind.
It also postures our hearts for joy and allows us to help our children see that Jesus is the true reason for the season.
So, what are some ways to celebrate this beautiful time of year and usher in the real reason with our precious children? Well, read on and find some creative ways to celebrate Advent.
1. The Advent Wreath
An Advent wreath is a beautiful symbol to display in your home to honor the birth of our Savior. Its round shape can hold four to five candles as it marks down the weeks leading to Christmas Day.
As the weeks draw near on the day we honor Jesus’ birth, each Sunday, a candle is lit to allow family members to reflect on the nature of the expected Messiah.
Traditionally, there are three purple candles to signify repentance (lit on the first, second, and fourth Sunday), and one rose candle to represent joy (lit on the third Sunday). Oftentimes, there is also a white candle in the center to mark the completion or fulfillment of the Advent season.
There are so many lessons to be taught with this lovely Advent wreath tradition. It also makes a beautiful centerpiece in your home to reflect on the birth of our Messiah.
2. Do a Daily Devotional
Another beautiful way to prepare our hearts for the arrival of our King is by simply reading a Christmas devotional together. If you are looking for a sweet devotional to do together as a family, check out the ones below.
What God Wants for Christmas by Barbar Rainey. This kid-friendly devotional comes with Nativity characters to help the birth story of Jesus really come to life as you read it. The best part is that it brings your little darlings right into the story with a sweet twist you have to read to discover.
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration for Christmas by Ann Voskamp. This beautiful book, filled with vivid illustrations, provides daily Scripture reading, discussion questions, and meaningful Advent activities to help your family experience the miraculous wonders of our Savior’s birth.
The Way to the Manger by Jeff and Abbey Land. This was actually written by our children’s pastor and his dear wife.
This beautiful book offers 25 Advent devotions that are filled with the biblical truth of Christmas. It paves the way for lively discussions and activities to bring your family closer together this season.
3. Make an Advent Countdown
When many think of Advent and activities to help children countdown to Christmas, they may quickly think of the old-time Advent chocolate calendars. Nowadays, there seems to be an endless supply of these calendars.
Some hold candies or gifts in little boxes, others provide a fun-filled craft, while others allow you to change the day in some creative way.
However, if we really want to call it an Advent calendar, it must focus on Christ. As we count down the days to Christmas, there are a few fun ways to do this.
Each day could hold various scriptures to spark a discussion with your family, or you could provide meaningful ways to be kind, show love, and serve others in your community, loving others as Jesus did.
There are so many fun ways to incorporate an Advent calendar into this beautiful season. Get creative and just have fun with your precious family, creating memories that will fill your hearts with the love of our Lord and Savior.
4. Gather in Prayer
This time of year provides a perfect segway for us to introduce (or reiterate) the power of our prayers with our children (Mark 11:24; Ephesians 4:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Teaching the value of daily prayer, especially leading up to Christmas, invites peace into our homes as well.
Gather as a family and take a gauge of the emotional temperature of your home. What have you undergone as a family this year? What has God blessed you with? How has God shaped or changed you this year?
Take a moment to reflect as a family and give thanks to God for His faithfulness and promises. Then, allow each family member to take a moment to write down their heart in the form of a prayer request on either a strand of paper or an index card. If your children are little, you can write them together on a big piece of paper for all to see visually.
You can either exchange the prayer requests and privately pray for one another, or you can meet and lift them all up together, but this simple practice will help see the needs and hearts of others.
In time, your family may even begin to witness how God is moving in your family or the lives of those you dearly love. That is such a beautiful blessing.
5. Have a Birthday Party
Bake a cake, get balloons if you want, and sing “Happy Birthday!” We are celebrating the birthday of our Savior, after all!
We have a little farmhouse that has been in the family for over a hundred years and every year, we go up there and do a tour of lights in the downtown area, then come back and bake a birthday cake for Jesus.
Our daughters have been known to decorate His cake with a thousand sprinkles as we all sing loudly to honor His birth.
Here’s the thing, though. While there are so many ways to honor Jesus, there is only one gift that Jesus seeks from us. Of course, it isn’t the cake, party hats, and streamers.
Although I am sure, He appreciates any kind gesture as we celebrate Him in a place of love. However, we must remember the humble origins in which Christ arrived.
He doesn’t want our presents; He wants our presence. So, after singing Happy Birthday, try to have a moment of silence for your family to hand over their hearts and thank Jesus quietly for His most incredible gift of love and hope (1 Timothy 1:15-17).
6. Lower Your Expectations
We really can get sucked into a time warp during the Christmas holiday. I am not even sure how we are at the end of December already! It seems as if each year sneaks up on me earlier and earlier.
While we can really go all out for Christmas, planning, prepping, and trying to focus on meaningful events, well-intentioned activities, and making it a season to remember, sometimes, we can actually forget to enjoy it!
As one that easily gets wrapped up in the business of it all, I tend to burn out really fast. Then, when things don’t go according to plan, it can cause me to lose sight of what I am doing this all for and lead me down a path that steals the joy.
Friend, I know just how difficult it is to be swept up in the magic of it all and fail to see the purpose. Or better yet, have good intentions but fail to live up to “keeping it simple” and honoring the real reason for the season, only to grow frustrated.
I know how disheartening it can be when you are trying to create a special family memory, and sibling rivalry destroys the “could have been meaningful” moment.
Or the times you try to read the Christmas story only to get interrupted by the cat climbing in the tree and breaking a bunch of ornaments. Then there are the moments where the family gatherings are simply ruined by the stress and overwhelming of it all.
This is life. Advent is just as much about making wonderful and meaningful memories for our families and growing our children’s faith as it is about growing our own faith.
So, take a moment to just be present and lower the standard you place upon yourself, and enjoy this season, too!
A Prayer for Advent
Faithful Father, thank you for this beautiful time of year and the precious gift of Advent. Please help us create memories for our families that will prepare for Your arrival.
As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, we also prepare for your second coming. We rejoice in that truth and wait with anticipation for Your promises to be fulfilled once again. You are a good and faithful Father. We love you. Amen.
For further reading:
5 Things Christians Should Know about Advent
What Is the Good News of Advent?
David Jeremiah Discusses the Source of Joy This Advent Season
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/tatyana_tomsickova
