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It’s another Christmas season! However, as expected it is a really busy time for many. People often get lost in the hustle and bustle of shopping among other things. Many of us are anxious during the holiday season, particularly frustrated when we can’t find and buy the perfect gifts for our loved ones and even for ourselves.
Between last-minute shopping, wrapping presents and holiday get-togethers, our Christmas calendars quickly fill up. Too often we’re so focused on the pressures of buying presents and celebrations that we lose sight of what Christmas is all about: Jesus. Once the season’s over, many of us may be left wondering if we ever stopped and truly celebrated the coming of our King or reflected Jesus’ love to others. It’s important that we don’t forget the true purpose of the day. Here are six ways to show the love of Jesus to others this Christmas.
Invite a Friend, Neighbor or Family Member to Church
Christmas is the perfect time to invite someone to church. Every day people are faced with staggering circumstances and Christmastime is no exception. Marriages end, loved ones pass away, and devastating test results come back. For many, the future seems bleak and hearts are broken. Often, people who are hurting feel like church isn’t for them. Yet, on the first Christmas, those who were frightened and in desperate need of good news and great joy were addressed directly. We are reminded that Jesus is love not only through His resurrection, but also His birth. Whether someone comes to church out of curiosity, a willingness to try something new or in desperate need of a Savior, it could be your invitation that leads them to Jesus.
Donate
One of the best ways you can reflect the love of Jesus is by giving back to those in need. Run through your closet and look at gently used items that you’re no longer using but may be beneficial to someone else. Contribute clothes such as socks, hats, winter coats and blankets to shelters. These items are particularly helpful during the winter. If you see a Salvation Army bell-ring, donate your spare change. We all have a ton of it lying around, especially in our cars. Put those coins to good use and donate them. Grab a few coins every time you come across a bell-ringer and toss them into the bucket. It may seem like very little, but all that money adds up quickly.
Spend Time With Those in Need
Too often the elderly, the homebound and those in assisted living are forgotten at Christmas. One great way to show the love of Jesus to others is by spending quality time with those who may not receive love from anyone else during the season. Help an elderly neighbor with Christmas decorations, grocery shopping and yard maintenance – or simply spend time with them talking and being a companion. Those who live in elderly care facilities sometimes have family members who live too far to visit them so this is a great time to pop up and volunteer your time. This will mean more to them than you will ever know.
Feed the Hungry
The Bible says we are to care for the poor, which involves feeding the hungry. God is pictured feeding the hungry. “He has filled the hungry with good things,” Mary sings (Luke 1:53). “He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry,” the psalmist sings (Psalm 146:7). If we are to be godly people, then, we must also seek to feed the hungry. During Christmas, you can feed the hungry by volunteering in a soup kitchen, a local rescue mission or by delivering meals to shut-ins. This may be the only time of year that they get a really special meal and you can help in facilitating this.
Buy Christmas Gifts for a Family in Need
Christmas should be the most wonderful time of the year. But for many children and their parents, this time of year may be depressing, stressful or simply go by unnoticed due to more pressing problems. Jesus’ love will be reflected through your giving. Foster agencies, hospitals, low-income schools and shelters need help this time of year. There are a number of ways to donate a Christmas present to a child who might not otherwise get one, and to provide a moment of happiness to a child undergoing a stressful situation, whether it’s poverty, illness or a natural disaster.
Kristina Servant/Flickr
Christmas is one of the best times of year to be a witness of the love of Jesus to the world. Of course, any day is a good day to show the love of Jesus, but people seem to be seeking more, hurting more and needing more during Christmas. You can show the love of Jesus through your actions. The act may seem small to you, but it can make a huge difference in the lives of those who are in need the most. When you seek to love others, you are living out the true meaning of Christmas before the world.
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