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The Christmas holiday season, when you celebrate the ultimate gift of God\u2019s presence with you as Immanuel, is an excellent time to transform your personal space into a welcoming home that nurtures your family\u2019s faith. By weaving the Bible\u2019s timeless truths into your daily routines and holiday traditions, you can create a cozy, faith-filled home for the holidays. Here are seven ideas you can use to do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1.<\/strong> Let the music of the season be a spiritual soundtrack for your home:\u00a0<\/strong>Music is a powerful tool for worshiping God, and the more you fill your home with Christmas music, the more you can create a faith-filled atmosphere there. Every day, turn on the Christmas music that plays in the background at home. You can listen to your favorite Christian radio station, create playlists of Christmas carols, or live stream Christmas songs online. Instead of focusing on secular holiday songs about Santa and snowmen, focus on sacred Christmas carols about the first Christmas when Jesus was born. When sacred songs like \u201cSilent Night\u201d, \u201cJoy to the World,\u201d or \u201cHark, the Herald Angels Sing\u201d play during your family\u2019s time at home during the holidays, you all will regularly be reminded of the Bible\u2019s Christmas story. Many Christmas carols have profound theological truths in their lyrics that you all can reflect on when you hear them. During dinner with your family, you can create a cozy family ritual of talking about each other\u2019s favorite Christmas songs and playing them for each other. It can be interesting to look up the stories behind each person’s favorite Christmas carols and discuss them together. You may also enjoy family sing-alongs during special times, like on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. As you listen to Christmas music together at home, talk about what especially inspires you. Colossians 3:16 encourages you to: \u201cLet the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.\u201d When you fill your home with music that celebrates the Christmas message, you\u2019re letting that inspiring story dwell richly in your home.\u00a0<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Create a sacred space for prayer and meditation at home:<\/strong> Your home can be a multifunctional place, where work, school, and leisure all overlap. You can encourage yourself and your family members to build prayer and meditation habits they enjoy at home by dedicating a specific, cozy area as a \u201csacred space.\u201d Reserve this space for everyone in your household to use for spiritual disciplines, such as prayer and meditation, as well as personal Bible reading, journaling, or any other spiritual practice they engage in. Ensure it\u2019s a peaceful and accessible location. It doesn\u2019t have to be a whole room; it can just be a comfortable chair tucked near a window with a warm blanket, an uncluttered table with a Bible and a simple candle, or even a place by your family\u2019s nativity scene or Christmas tree. Let everyone know that they can use your home\u2019s sacred space as a quiet retreat place during the holiday season. Encourage every family member to spend at least a few minutes of quiet time there each day, such as in the morning after waking up, just after lunch, or just before bedtime. As you all spend time in your home\u2019s sacred space, think about how God\u2019s Holy Spirit lives inside your home and inside your souls. The Bible points out in 1 Corinthians 6:19: \u201cDo you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?\u201d Let your sacred space be a place where everyone in your family can look forward to communicating with God and experiencing his peace.\u00a0<\/p>\n 3. Share Jesus as the bread of life while you\u2019re baking and cooking:<\/strong> Food makes people feel safe and connected, which is why the kitchen is the heart of the home during the holidays. However, you can turn baking from a chore into a way to express your faith. As you\u2019re baking or cooking in your kitchen, talk to your family about how Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus says in John 6:35: \u201cI am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.\u201d He adds in John 6:51: \u201cI am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.\u201d You can thank Jesus for how he nourishes each of you when you say a prayer of grace before your meals. You can also eat mindfully, paying close attention to your senses while eating and reflecting on everything that had to happen for your food to reach you. Let the gratitude you feel for how Jesus blesses you motivate you to share food with people in need this holiday season. Consider inviting others over to eat dinner with you and your family. Make extra portions of your favorite holiday food \u2013 such as a casserole, Christmas cookies, or fresh bread \u2013 and deliver them to elderly neighbors or first responders on duty. This is a great way to practice Romans 12:13: \u201cShare with the Lord\u2019s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.\u201d By using your kitchen to be generous, you can show your family that true comfort is found in giving to others, especially those who are often overlooked.\u00a0<\/p>\n 4. Explore Bible stories together:<\/strong> There are so many great Christmas books out there, but nothing beats the original Christmas story from the Bible. Bring that story to life at home. Take time each day to read a part of the Christmas story from the Bible together. You can include the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus before he came, such as Isaiah 9:6-7: \u201cFor to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David\u2019s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.\u201d and Micah 5:2: \u201cBut you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.\u201d) In the Gospels, there are many stories to explore about how Jesus\u2019 birth unfolded, including all that happened both before and after with Mary, Joseph, angels, and many other characters. Make it a cozy experience! Snuggle up on a sofa together in candlelight with hot chocolate, read the stories out loud, ask each other questions, and discuss what the verses mean for you today. Hebrews 4:12 tells you: \u201cFor the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.\u201d When you focus on exploring Bible stories together, you\u2019ll see God\u2019s power at work in your hearts and minds this holiday season.\u00a0<\/p>\n 5. Declare your faith through how you decorate:<\/strong> Putting up Christmas decorations is a fun way to create a festive mood, but they\u2019re also critical visual reminders of your faith. Put your manger scene in a prominent spot \u2013 like under your Christmas tree or on a large table in your living room \u2013 where you all can actually touch the pieces and retell the story of Jesus\u2019 birth. You can also use ornaments with scripture or a tree dedicated to prayers that have been answered over the past year. Let every twinkling Christmas light inside and outside your home remind you that Jesus is the Light of the World. Matthew 5:16 says: \u201cIn the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.\u201d When you decorate with purpose, your home can become a beautiful expression of your faith to everyone who lives there and to those who visit.\u00a0<\/p>\n 6. Start a tradition of giving:\u00a0<\/strong>Giving gifts is a wonderful tradition, but it can easily become all about stuff because of our culture\u2019s consumer approach to Christmas. To keep the focus on Jesus, try to de-commercialize the process. Discuss with them the importance of contribution over consumption. Teach your family that we give because God gave to us first. You can choose a specific charity or missionary to support together as a family gift. Another idea is the \u201cThree Gifts\u201d tradition, based on the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh from the Magi. Gold represents something of lasting value, frankincense represents something for worship, and myrrh represents something for the body or mind. As 2 Corinthians 9:7 says: \u201cEach of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.\u201d Giving cheerfully keeps your focus right where it belongs.\u00a0<\/p>\n 7. Establish home New Year traditions focused on future hope:<\/strong> The celebration doesn\u2019t have to end on December 25th. Celebrate the 12 days of Christmas, which include the New Year, and can help you all look forward to with faith. Try starting a \u201cBlessing Jar\u201d tradition. Have everyone write down one blessing they\u2019re grateful for from the past year or a prayer for the next. Read these aloud on New Year\u2019s Eve and pray over them. This is a perfect way to remember Jeremiah 29:11-13 and let it inspire you all to seek God in the new year: \u201c\u2018For I know the plans I have for you,\u2019 declares the Lord, \u2018plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.\u2019 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.\u201d When you all start the year this way, you start well \u2013 with gratitude and trust in God\u2019s good plans for you all.\u00a0<\/p>\n In conclusion, creating a cozy, faith-filled home can be a fun way to bless yourself and your family during the holiday season. By building an atmosphere that honors God at home, you can create a spiritual sanctuary that will help you all focus on what matters most together. So, leave your holiday stress at the door and look forward to experiencing more peace and joy together at home this Christmas and New Year!<\/p>\n Photo credit: SolStock<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Whitney Hopler <\/strong>helps people discover God’s wonder and experience awe. She is the author of several books, including the nonfiction books\u00a0Wake Up to Wonder and\u00a0Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year, and the young adult novel\u00a0Dream Factory. Whitney has served as an editor at leading media organizations, including Crosswalk.com, The Salvation Army USA\u2019s national publications, and Dotdash.com (where she produced a popular channel on angels and miracles). She currently leads the communications work at\u00a0George Mason University\u2019s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. Connect with Whitney on her website at\u00a0www.whitneyhopler.com and\u00a0on her\u00a0Facebook author page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Christmas holiday season, when you celebrate the ultimate gift of God\u2019s presence with you as Immanuel, is an excellent time to transform your personal space into a welcoming home that nurtures your family\u2019s faith. 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