Q: It’s Christmas time again. How can I tell my visiting family the truth about Jesus without offending them? I am not confident I can I do this.
A: People look forward to celebrating Christmas for many reasons. It’s one of the two seasons during the year, (Holy week is the other), when people are open to the person and message of Jesus. In fact, media will refer to the birth of Jesus as the Savior of the world. Even irreligious people find themselves going to church or singing Christmas Hymns and Carols.
Here are some practical things you can do.
- During your family gatherings take time to lead in singing Bible-based Christmas carols like Hark the Herald Angles Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, or even Mary’s Boy Child. Make sure you provide the lyrics of the songs either in print with video/videoke accompaniment. YouTube is a great place to download music videos. You’ll notice that they won’t hesitate to sing along.
- This is a great time to read the Christmas story from the Bible in Luke Chapter 2. Ask several people to share what Christmas and Jesus’ birth means to them. Always affirm everyone who shares by saying thank you.
- Briefly conclude the sharing time by connecting Jesus’ birth with his death on the cross for our sins and His resurrection. Emphasize the importance of surrendering our lives to Jesus and making Him the center. Make them feel comfortable. Don’t use religious language or complicated words. Be brief. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you as you speak and to touch people as they listen. Trust God for the results.
