A Christmas Devotional for the Family

Advent simply means “arrival.” During the Christmas season, many Christians in the West and around the world prepare for Jesus’s advent during a period of four to five weeks leading up to the traditional date of Christmas morning.

From Unwrapping the First Christmas

Ever since our kids were small, we celebrated with an Advent wreath at the dinner table with four candles surrounding it and one in the middle. Each week we would read a passage of Scripture, light a candle, pray, and sing a Christmas carol. We weren’t super legalistic about it or even regular, but we did instill in our family life a deep sense of meaning for Jesus’s birth that put Christmas morning in perspective. In the midst of the presents, special cookies, and homemade sticky buns we knew that the true meaning of Christmas wasn’t wrapped up in a box under the tree. Rather, it was wrapped up in the miraculous event of Jesus’ birth, represented by the advent of Jesus appearing in the manger of our Creche on the fireplace mantel.

We hope this devotional will encouraged you to take the four days before Christmas to dive deeper into its meaning. To help, here are four devotionals that you might consider doing with your family. We suggest reading an Advent devotional after dinner, but there is not one special time that is better than another. Simply taking the time as a family to redirect your attention to Jesus and His Advent will leave an impression with your children that they will take into their adulthood.