Devotion: Christmas Traditions: Keep It, Can It, or Recreate It?

You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water. (Psalm 63:1)

What are some of the holiday traditions your family keeps to celebrate the birth of our Savior? Take a few minutes to write a list of them.

Often with traditions, we’ve been doing them for so long that we do them just because we’ve always done them. It’s important to consider if they are still serving their purpose. Consider each tradition of your family, big and small. Some common traditions families might have include attending worship on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, baking cookies, Christmas caroling, opening presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, buying presents or visiting Santa.

List your family traditions:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Then, for each tradition you just listed, consider the following.

• Does this tradition still serve its original purpose?
• Does it bring our family closer together?
• Does it bring glory to God?
• Is it meaningful or fun?

If the tradition is still meaningful and worth it for your family, keep it. If not, give yourself permission to can it! Let it go, or maybe you can recreate it in a way that works better for you now.

Psalm 63 says, “Earnestly I seek you…my whole being longs for you.” If our Christmas has become filled with activities that crowd out seeking God to the point that our whole being doesn’t long for Him, it’s time to make some changes. These changes are worth it.

[bctt tweet=”Is it time to make some changes to your Christmas traditions?”]

Dear God, Thank you for the Christmas season! I love a time to reflect on our most precious gift – your life that brings us salvation. Help our family to consider which of our traditions serve us well and which we need to let go in order to honor you best. In your name we pray, Amen.