Trimming down our busy holiday schedules isn’t always possible. But even amid the bustle right before Christmas, we can keep Christ at the center. Kristen McQuivey, a guest on the Magnify podcast, tells us how.
1. Change Your Mindset, Not Your To-do List
Kristen repeats the phrase “Just Jesus” during the holidays to keep her focus.
“My physical list of to-dos has not changed,” Kristen says, “what changes is my mindset.”
Being a little intentional about bringing the Savior to her thoughts means His peace prevails over the commotions of the world that could permeate the holiday season.
“Christmas is a chance to try and reset where our thoughts are and where our hearts are,” Kristen shares. It’s doing our activities “with full purpose of heart, and with thoughts of joy and gratitude for Jesus as we do it.”
2. Give Gifts of Connection, Not Consumption
Gift-giving is a joyful, even Christlike, part of the season. But it can easily turn into a commercialized distraction. To keep Christ at the center of our gift exchanges, Kristen recommends a focus on connection over consumption as we shop for and give to others.
Using our time, talents, and energy to give of ourselves is a way to keep Christ at the center of our hearts. “Christmas is a beautiful opportunity to seek His light and to have opportunities to share that light in really simple, but powerful ways,” Kristen says.
When we view our giving as a way to connect and share light with others, we choose to remember our Savior’s sacrifice, giving His life for each of us.
3. Put Christ on the Calendar
Another way to intentionally make time for Christ is to physically (or digitally) put it on the calendar. You could do this by scheduling time to listen to Handel’s Messiah during Christmas. Scheduling a temple session is another way to create purposeful time to remember Him during the holidays.
You could also schedule shorter activities—like reading a page of a Christmas book or sending a kind text to a friend.
4. Remember the Joyful Realities
Christmastime can serve as our most significant reminder of our Savior, who is our true joy. Through Him, our small joys are multiplied and amplified to great and lasting joy. President Jeffrey R. Holland said:
“The true meaning, the unique, joyous meaning of the birth of this baby was not confined to those first hours in Bethlehem but would be realized in the life He would lead and in His death, in His triumphant atoning sacrifice ... and in His prison-bursting Resurrection. These are the realities that make Christmas joyful.”
When overwhelm rises and the light of the season seems to dim, we can remember that Jesus can make our holiday joyful and that He is our joy. Remembering Him in simple ways will keep the joy of His love and sacrifice with us always and remind us that our efforts are enough.
▶ 20 ways to share your light through service on Christmas day
▶ Feel more hope and peace today with this beautiful reminder from President Holland
▶ This painting of Christ is a reminder of His power to heal us
