Valuable lessons to teach your children during this Christmas

The word Christmas is not in the Bible. It is derived from two words: “Christ” and “Mass”. Mass is a worship celebration in the Roman Catholic Church so Christmas is the celebration or worship of Christ.

Nowhere in the Bible are we told to celebrate Christmas and Jesus was probably not born on December 25, but the first recorded celebration of Christmas, therefore, was on December 25, 336 during the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine. There are many theories why December 25 was chosen, but I will not focus on that.

Charles Dickens is thought to have given us the current form of Christmas through his novel, A Christmas Carol, published in 1843.  

That said, the Biblical Christmas story or nativity story is centreded on Jesus’ birth. Let us recapture it from Luke’s version of events as recorded in his book in chapter two, verse four: “So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them.” 

This news was announced by angels to shepherds who were grazing their sheep near Jerusalem at night in the same chapter in verses 10 to 12, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manager.” 

What values should we extract and teach our children about these facts of Jesus’ birth?  

Faith

 Not the food and the merry-making but that Jesus Christ is the reason for the season. Jesus Christ was born to die to save man from his sins and restore man’s broken relationship with God. Anyone who believes this truth is granted eternal life according to the Scriptures.   

Sharing of gifts

The story of Jesus’ birth is also recorded in Mathew 2, where we see the Magi (or wise men) from the East bringing their treasures and gifts to Jesus, when he was born. Christmas, therefore, is a season to share with others and you can teach children to practice giving to needy places such as orphanages, prisons, hospitals, ghettos, among others. Giving is more rewarding than receiving. 

Helping others

There are usually many activities in the home that need to be done during the festive season such as cleaning the house, slashing the compound, washing dishes, painting, baking, decorating, cooking, name it. It is important for a child to value lending a helping hand in such times rather than binging on watching television, or playing and feasting all day long.

Value of family and friends

 The year has probably been so busy for you with a lot on your plate, you have been shuffling through life. The same for the children with their school responsibilities.

The holiday season provides a good time to kick up your shoes, relax and enjoy the company of one another. Spending quality time should be high on your agenda right now and this should communicate to your children the value of family.   

God’s faithfulness

 The Messiah was promised thousands of years through the different prophets and events culminating in him being born on earth in a manger on Christmas. Christmas, therefore, is a good season to teach children that God fulfills His promises no matter how long they seem to take. In a world where you cannot trust anybody except yourself, teach children to trust in God, who is unchanging and faithful to keep His word. Trust can be a strong anchor for their souls when they grow up and face trying moments in life.

Gratitude

Christmas is a good time to teach children to count their blessings one by one and be thankful for what they have. According to the World Bank, 385 million children live in poverty, 3.1 million children die every year (8,500 children per day) due to poor nutrition, 805 million people worldwide do not have enough food to eat.

About 80 percent of the world population lives on the equivalent of less than one dollar a day and according to UNICEF, 22,000 children die each day due to poverty. These are sorry statistics.      

Service to others

Jesus said he did not “come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45). Serving others with your money, time, and other resources is good for others, but also for you. Teaching children to serve others meaningfully will enhance their happiness and emotional well-being. If they are young, you could arrange for them to join Interact clubs in their schools or communities. 

Pray for their leaders and nation

 In Mathew 2:16, when the wise men did not return to report to Herod about the whereabouts of newly born Jesus, Herod was very angry so he ordered the mass killing of “all the male children, who were in Bethlehem and in all districts from two years old and under…” This was genocide.

We can teach our children during Christmas to always pray for good leaders for our nation because a nation prospers under good leadership and collapses under bad leadership.