You are probably reading this the week before Christmas. I hope you are enjoying some peace and joy with your loved ones. I hope you’ve finished your shopping and are finding time to be still and appreciate the greatest gift that has ever been given.

Jesus is the reason for this wonderful season. But the activities of the Christmas season can keep us so busy that we miss what God has for us. The parties, the cards, the gifts and the presents are all wonderful but can crowd out what really matters.

As I write this, I still have cards to send and Christmas gifts to buy. My list of things to do seems longer than ever as I work to cram everything that “must” be done into the few remaining days of the year.

How can we make this awesome time of year more about Jesus? That is something we struggle with as a family, but here are a few ideas we’ve picked up over the years.

Celebrate Jesus’ Birthday

We all know how to celebrate a birthday. We buy that person gifts, we focus on them, we celebrate them. Kids of all ages know how to celebrate somebody’s birthday.

So, how can we celebrate Jesus’ birthday? One thing we’ve done is to start talking about Christmas as Jesus’ birthday. We’ve gotten into the habit of having a Happy Birthday Jesus party with cake, candles and everything you’d expect at a birthday party.

Talking about Christmas as Jesus’ birthday has probably helped me way more than my kids. I get to remind myself as I remind my kids that this is Jesus’ birthday, not ours.

Give Jesus a Present (or two!)

When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus responded that the greatest commandment was to love the Lord (Matthew 22:34). Jesus then added that the second greatest commandment was like the first and was to love your neighbor as yourself.

From what I understand, the concept of giving gifts at Christmas was started when Saint Nicklaus gave gifts to the poor to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Jesus’ heart was for the poor, the needy, the outcasts. For a fun and educational look at the history of Christmas, check out Phil Vischer’s (the creator of VeggieTales) “Why Do We Call it Christmas?” DVD.

How can we give gifts to the people Jesus would be loving on if he was here? The easiest way for most of us is to donate to a charity that serves those in need. The more impactful way would be to do a service project over the holidays or just a good deed to someone who could never pay you back.

A few years back some friends of ours introduced us to a book called “The Sparkle Box.” It is a great book to read to your kids over the holiday season and it introduces the idea of giving gifts to Jesus over the holidays. Ours even came with a little silver box to put under your tree and to store notes about your gifts to Jesus in. Having that book and silver box around during the holidays is a great reminder of whose birthday we are celebrating.

Be Still

“Be still and know that I am God” – Psalm 46:10. This may be the hardest suggestion of all. I know it is for me. A big way that we love people is by spending focused time with them. The same goes for God. I’m trying to get to the bottom of my list and saying no to as much as I can so I can get more time with God and more time with my family over the holiday season.

What are some things you can say no to this season so you can yes to the most important? Saying no is always difficult, but it is the only way to keep your focus on what matters most.

I hope you and yours have a fantastic holiday season. I hope your holidays are filled with love, joy and peace.

Do you have any great ideas for keeping Jesus at the center of Christmas? Please send them to me at cfowler@valuesdrivenresults.com. I’d love to learn from you and share your ideas with others.

Curt Fowler is President of Fowler & Company and Director at Fowler, Holley, Rambo & Stalvey. He is dedicated to helping leaders create and achieve a compelling vision for their organizations.

Curt is a syndicated business writer, keynote speaker and business advisor. He has an MBA in Strategy and Entrepreneurship from the Kellogg School, is a CPA, and a pretty good guy as defined by his wife and four children.