Luke 2:6-7, “And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

The United States is Christmas crazy. I mean that literally. You have heard the Christmas carol Twelve Days of Christmas, but the actual statistics state that the official Christmas season is five weeks long! Retailers depend on Christmas sales to make a profit for the year, and they start to decorate and promote Christmas items before Thanksgiving. Many people depend on seasonal Christmas jobs to augment their income and make ends meet. Tragically, there have even been Christmas shopping fights and fatalities. Our culture is Christmas crazy! 

We should not have an ad hoc mentality when it comes to Christmas, blindly going with the flow and taking what’s easy instead of thinking ahead and devising strategies for action and engagement with the culture. As Christians, and hopefully as thinking Christians, we should think things through and be prepared for what may even seem routine – like Christmas. When asked, “Are you ready for Christmas?” Would you immediately think… 

• Christmas shopping 
• Christmas decorations 
• Christmas cards 
• Christmas baking 
• Christmas travel plans 
• Christmas parties 

There is certainly a sense in which all of those things play into our preparedness for the Christmas event, but they are only a part of Christmas and by no means the most important part. Aside from all the above, are we prepared to ensure that our family, friends, and co-workers understand that Jesus Christ is indeed “the reason for the season?” We need to have a strategy for Christmas, and the strategy must go beyond presents, pictures, pageants, and parties.  

Maybe you’re thinking: “Why on earth would I need a strategy for Christmas?” The answer is simple. Have you ever wanted to take advantage of the Christmas holiday to have a family talk about the real meaning of Christmas or maybe to speak with a friend about the season’s reason and before you realize it you’re cleaning up wrapping paper on December 26th and thinking to yourself, “I can’t believe it’s already over?!” That is why we should think this through before it’s over. It’s good to have a plan. That’s what we’ll work through together in the coming days.