Preparing our hearts for Christmas might not be as trite as it sounds. There are real and actionable steps we can take to prepare our hearts for the advent season and for the joy of spending time with our family.
The Christmas season is full of lights, laughter, gatherings, and—let’s be honest—a little bit of hustle. While it’s easy to get swept up in the decorations, gifts, and Christmas parties. I think we’ve all heard the rhetoric that we need to pause and refocus on the real meaning of Christmas. It’s kind of cliche at this point, so then why aren’t we doing it? Why are Christmas sales continuing to skyrocket every year? The average American spends almost $300 on decorations alone!
As homemakers who love Jesus, there’s so much beauty in intentionally preparing our hearts and homes for the celebration of Christ.
This Christmas, I’m inviting you to walk through essential aspects of preparing our hearts for the holidays that help us balance our faith and family, decorate with purpose, cultivate contentment, and organize thoughtfully. So let’s grab a cup of cocoa, coffee, or in my case cranberry wassil because I’m absolutely obsessed with this recipe, and settle in to talk about what it truly means to prepare our hearts for a holiday that honors the birth of Jesus and allows us to spending meaningful time with our families.
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Preparing our Hearts for Christmas – A Season of Reflection and Anticipation
As we enter the holiday season, it’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of the season. The trappings of the season—decorations, food, gifts, and gatherings—can make our Christmas beautiful, but they’re not the core of what we celebrate.
The true meaning of Christmas is in celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Savior and Prince of Peace, who came to bring eternal life to all who believe. And although that is certainly the core of things, I think it’s important that we also acknowledge that Christmas has also become a very intentional time with family, creating traditions, and memories. I think it’s cautiously safe to add that element to our priorities as we think through the meaning of the season.
In the midst of our Christmas activities, we’re invited to focus our hearts on the Word of God. This time of year can be a beautiful opportunity to dive deeper into the Christmas story, to reflect on God’s love and plan for humanity. Advent Blocks right now are my favorite way to explore the Old Testament and New Testament as a way to learn about the connection of Jesus coming back to stay and the good news that Christ is the Savior of the world. It can be adapted for a variety of age groups, so it’s well worth the investment.
Advent invites us into a time of reflection, a season of remembering how God kept His promises and changed the world forever through the birth of Jesus. Christmas is so much more than holiday traditions, twinkling lights, or even time with family; it is a profound, divine revolution, a miracle declaring that God has come to us in the form of a Savior.
We need to remember with true depth that the King of Heaven exchanged His throne for a cradle. That he entered his own creation and the Giver himself became the gift.
Jesus came as Immanuel—God with us. Remembering that God came near deepens our desire to seek Him, to dwell in the wonder of His love, and to reflect on the lengths He went to reach us. Advent invites us to linger on the miracle of Christ’s incarnation, the fulfillment of ancient promises, and to meditate on the mystery of a God who drew near so that we might know Him.
There is a beautiful tension in this season—one that bridges the joy of what has already come and a hopeful yearning for what is yet to be. There is reflection and anticipation in the Advent season. Just as the faithful in the Old Testament awaited the promised Messiah, we now find ourselves in a similar waiting, anticipating His second coming when He will return to make all things new.
“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
Romans 8:23-25 ESV
Like a child on Christmas Eve, who relishes in the memories of past Christmases while eagerly awaiting what’s to come, God’s people live between the triumph of Christ’s resurrection and the promise of His return. In this in-between, Advent cultivates in us a unique joy—one that grows through worshipful anticipation.
In Advent, we stand in hope, knowing that the same God who came to us as a baby will one day return as King. We anticipate the final Advent, the day when our Savior will come in glory and bring us into the fullness of His Kingdom. As we wait, we remember that every celebration of His first coming points us to the day when He will return in glory, bringing with Him the peace and joy of His eternal reign.
Decorating Our Home with Purpose
We all have different ways of making our homes feel cozy and warm during the holidays. Some of us go all out with Christmas lights on every surface, wreaths on every window, and elaborate trees that could be featured in magazines. Others might keep things simple, hanging a few cherished ornaments or decorating only with candles and greenery. I have a friend who cares very little about decorations. To her making a home cozy is more about the holiday recipes, and spending time with people. It works marvelously for their family and I know their kids still have that warm and cozy feeling about the holidays.
However you decorate, know that your approach is special, and it speaks to the way God designed you and your family.
Ask yourself this: What whispered in your ear that you were special, loved, and your home and family cherished your very being? The holiday season is a wonderful time to fill our homes with these whispers, to make our spaces not just beautiful, but places of rest, peace, and belonging. When our decorations carry intentional meaning, they can remind us of the great love God has for us.
Our holiday decor doesn’t need to be elaborate to be beautiful. I have vivid memories of decorating our home as a child. But it was the atmosphere that was the most memorable. The Christmas music, smells, and ‘feeling’ I had while we decorated together. Besides my mom’s gigantic Christmas village that I was mesmerized with, I don’t have memories of specific decorations. My guess is our kids will be the same. They don’t care about if you got the latest decor trend, or made the latest recipe floating around on social media. They will remember the atmosphere you create. Not the decorations.
Enjoying the “Patina” of Our Home
Christmas can be a time when we feel the weight of our home’s imperfections. Maybe you’ve wished for a “perfect tree” that doesn’t drop needles, or perhaps you’ve found yourself sighing over the old carpet in the living room. That’s me. I’m so tired of our ancient and super-stained carpet. It’s actually disgusting, but there’s nothing I can do about it besides complain. It’s easy to focus on what we lack, especially when we’re bombarded with images of beautifully decorated homes.
However, there is beauty in the patina of what God has provided. Sometimes, the very things that drive us nuts—the creaky floorboards, the outdated furniture—are the things that make our home uniquely ours. God has called us to be content, finding joy in what we have rather than yearning for what we don’t. This Christmas, may God help us appreciate the well-loved pieces in our homes, as they are often reminders of the precious moments we’ve shared within these walls.
Instead of comparing or wishing for more, let’s embrace the “good news” of contentment. The decorations may fade, but the memories and love in our homes are eternal. Jesus, the Lord of the universe, wasn’t born in a palace but in a simple, humble manger. The “perfect time” for His coming wasn’t marked by material extravagance but by the simplicity of His birth. Let’s remember that God’s gifts are sometimes wrapped in the beauty of simplicity and contentment.
The Practical Elements of Planning
While Christmas is about celebrating Christ’s birth, it’s also a time for organizing and planning. This year, I’m using my 2025 Christmas planner to keep track of all the to-do’s, from Christmas cards to gift lists, and I can’t recommend having a planner enough. When our holiday season is organized, it helps us focus on what matters most without getting lost in the craziness of December.
But as you plan, don’t be afraid to say “no” to some good things in order to make room for the best things. There are endless invitations to Christmas parties, holiday gatherings, and activities, and it can be tempting to try to do it all. However, not every opportunity is part of God’s plan for you. Sometimes the best decision for your family is to create space for quiet moments, family devotionals, and time to reflect on God’s love.
Take a look at your plans and ask the Holy Spirit for guidance on how to prioritize. It’s perfectly okay to let go of a few events if it means more time to focus on the true meaning of the holiday. Christmas is about celebrating Christ’s mass—the gathering in His name, the focusing on His glory, and the preparing for His second coming. Keep that at the center, and everything else will fall into place.
The Ultimate Christmas Planner on Amazon
The Ultimate Christmas Planner On Etsy (Printable and Digital)
The Ultimate Christmas Planner on Gumroad (Printable and Digital)
Declutter Your Heart
Just as we declutter our homes to make way for holiday decorations, we also need to declutter our hearts. It’s easy to carry hard feelings, broken hearts, and frustrations from the year into the holiday season, but the Lord Jesus Christ came to free us from burdens. Let’s bring our bitterness, unforgiveness, and anger to Him in prayer, allowing His love to wash over us.
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14 ESV
The angel of the Lord proclaimed “earth peace” when Jesus was born, and He offers that same peace to us today. Let’s release what’s holding us back and make room for the peace of the Lord in our lives. When we clear out the emotional clutter, we can more fully appreciate the celebration of Christ.
Spend Time with Jesus
Perhaps the most important part of preparing for Christmas is simply spending time with Jesus. It’s in these quiet moments, maybe by a flickering candle or while reading a devotional book, that we are reminded of God’s great love for us. The celebration of Christmas is not just about Jesus’ birth, but also about the truth of God’s plan to redeem His people through Him.
If you haven’t already, check out the homemaking planner which contains Bible reading plans. I’m gearing up for launching the 2025 Bible reading plans, which will be a year through the Bible and a topical Bible reading plan that focuses on themes like mercy, strength, our identity, and Easter and Christmas readings. You can be the FIRST one to get signed up to join us for the 2025 year by clicking here.
Set aside time each day to reflect on the Word of God, to sit in silence, and to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart. Read the Christmas story and imagine the wonder the wise men felt as they followed the star, the multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and Mary’s deep humility as the Lord’s servant. In a world that’s constantly rushing, these precious moments with Jesus are like little gifts that draw us closer to His heart.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 ESV
Another shout out for Advent Blocks, but if you are looking for something a little bit less time intensive, I would highly recommend this new release (2024) by New Growth Press and Marty Makowski! It is a two week family devotional leading up to Christmas. It’s also fun that it’s a flip book!
The holiday season is all about our hearts and the lens we choose to view it. Preparing our hearts for Christmas can be a wonderful practice filled with joy. We can fill our days with holiday preparations, shopping, and parties, but if we miss the heart of the season, we’ve missed it all. Christmas Eve will come and go, but the eternal message of Jesus’ birth and God’s love for us remain forever.
As you prepare for a wonderful Christmas, remember that Jesus is the only way to find peace, joy, and contentment. The celebration of Christ is meant to be a reminder of the greatest gift we’ve been given: God’s love for us through the Savior of the world. So let’s keep our hearts centered on the One who is truly at the center of our celebration, the reason for our joy, and the Prince of Peace.
May God bless your preparations, fill your home with His presence, and give you a Christmas season filled with the deep, abiding peace that comes only from Him.
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