Simplify the Holidays Without Saying Humbug!

The Purpose Driven Christmas
by Rick Warren

On Halloween night this year, I made a quick stop at a grocery store where I stumbled onto a stock crew busily pulling candy from the shelves. It was only 6 p.m., but they assumed the trick-or-treat crowd had already bought all the goodies they needed.

What created such an unforgettable snapshot in my mind was that the Halloween treats were immediately replaced with Christmas candy. The corpse of Halloween had not even grown cold, but the artificial spirit of Christmas–crass commercialism–was already taking over the retail aisles of America.

Each year it seems our panicked dash through the Christmas season gets pushed back ever earlier, prodding us to work harder, rush faster, and spend more to make the approaching yuletide the best one yet.

Before you join the rush, it would be wise to consider this question: In the years to come, how much of your efforts will be appreciated, or remembered, by family and friends? How many of last year’s Christmas gifts and parties do you remember? Probably not many.

I’ve concluded that most of us would love a simpler, more meaningful Christmas celebration. The problem is that we don’t know how.

Intuitively we know that the key to having the "best Christmas ever" is not buying more or decorating more, but focusing on what matters most. The true significance of Christmas is found in pausing to celebrate God’s love for us and expressing that love to one another.

After talking with hundreds of people, I’ve concluded that most of us would love a simpler, more meaningful Christmas celebration. The problem is that we don’t know how. We don’t know how to get off the treadmill of shopping and wrapping and decorating and cooking and partying and cleaning up and returning gifts. Expectations are so high. It’s no wonder that mothers in particular often secretly dread the duties of December.

Is there an alternative to another season of exhaustion? Yes! You can plan a purpose driven Christmas, one that simplifies your schedule around five key purposes: meaningful fellowship, personal growth, helpful service, joyful worship, and cheerful sharing. By focusing on these five, you’ll reduce your stress, increase your joy, and experience the holiday in a far more significant way. It will also better prepare you for the New Year.

Make It a Time for Meaningful Fellowship

At Christmas, we usually spend more time with family, friends, and coworkers than at any other time of the year. Parties, events, and dinners abound. It’s easy to overload your schedule. One night last December I was expected to attend three parties.

Unfortunately, most of the conversations at these gatherings occur at a very superficial level. A lot of gossip gets passed around, and we go home–none the better.

Real fellowship occurs when there is heart-to-heart sharing. For fellowship to happen we must open up and reveal ourselves to one another, talking about what we care about most. When real fellowship happens, families and friends grow closer to each other. But it doesn’t happen automatically. It happens when we intentionally ask meaningful questions, and then take the time to listen to one another.

This year, when you’re planning your gathering of family and friends, I urge you to set aside a "fellowship" time when everyone can sit in a circle and take turns really listening to one another. Ask these questions: What were you most thankful for this past year? What have you learned from the past year? How would you like to grow next year?

Real fellowship occurs when there is heart-to-heart sharing... It happens when we intentionally ask meaningful questions, and then take the time to listen to one another.

If you take the time for authentic fellowship with your family and friends, I guarantee that everyone will remember it far longer than if you merely socialize with them...

You can read the rest of this encouraging article here. You'll discover how to make Christmas a time for personal growth; a time for service; a time for joyful worship; and a time for sharing the Gospel.

This excerpt was quoted from, "The Purpose Driven Christmas" written by Rick Warren and published by
Just Between Us, a magazine "for women with a heart for ministry."

Related: In case you missed it, you can also read my previous article, "The Art of Asking Questions."

Information about the Carnival of Family Life is here.

Up Next—Marriage: Memorable Quotes on Submission


My purpose-driven focus this Christmas is "children." Do you have a special
focus this year?

Photos: vial3tt3r2, Mimidith, (Flickr)

Enjoy this article? Subscribe by email