How to Get into the Christmas Spirit: 10 Easy & Simple Ways to Find More JOY
Sometimes I struggle with feeling the Christmas Spirit. Sometimes I have a hard time feeling joyful during this time of year. Sometimes I think about all the things I need to do to prepare for the upcoming holidays . . . and it just makes me feel overwhelmed and stressed out.
For a while, I would chastise myself for this.
After all, I’m a Christian.
Christmas is when I celebrate the birth of my Savior and King. I should be happy. I should be in a good mood. I should look forward to it.
But sometimes, if I’m brave enough to admit it, my heart just isn’t into it.
- I put up the decorations.
- I do the Christmas shopping.
- I send out the Christmas cards.
But it feels like I’m just doing it all out of duty. Obligation. Because it’s just what I’m supposed to do this time of year.
And then I start to wonder if there’s something wrong with me. I mean, why can’t I get into the Christmas spirit?
What does it mean to get into the Christmas Spirit?
So, what does the whole Christmas spirit thing mean anyway?
The Christmas spirit consists of many different things but mainly it is about thinking less of yourself and more about others.
Examples of the Christmas spirit are being generous with your time and money, having a sense of goodwill towards others, and exuding feelings of love, joy, hope, and peace.
It’s about doing what we can to live like Jesus did. Loving on and serving others.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”
-Philippians 2:3 CSB
How to Get into the Christmas Spirit
If you’re not really feeling it this year and are wondering how to get more excited for Christmas, the good news is you can learn how to get into the Christmas Spirit by doing a few things.
These activities will help you get into a better, more Christmasy mood.
And the even better news is that they are all pretty simple and easy things to do.
“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.’”
-Luke 2:10 ESV
1) Get into the Christmas Spirit by . . . getting some rest.
When we’re stressed it’s hard to feel blessed. Because we’re so focused on our overwhelming circumstances.
Sometimes all it takes to put us in a better mood is to get some rest.
- Go ahead and take a nap.
- Make a good night’s sleep a priority.
- Clear your schedule.
- Learn to say, “No.”
You will accomplish more and think more clearly if you are well-rested.
So, do what you need to do in order to make time for rest. And spend some time with Jesus.
Because when we make time to abide in Christ . . . He can move us from a place of busyness and stress . . . to a place of rest.
“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.’”
-Matthew 11:28 NLT
2) Get into the Christmas Spirit by . . . starting a gratitude list.
It’s a lot easier to feel joy when we think about all the things we have to be thankful for. This is why starting a gratitude list is a super easy and simple way to shift your mood.
Start by writing down 5 things you are thankful for every single day. And then review that list once a week.
Gratitude.
It’s a small thing. That makes a big difference.
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
-2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV
3) Get into the Christmas Spirit by . . . giving to others.
In Matthew 14:13-14 NLT the Bible says:
“As soon as Jesus heard the news, [about John the Baptist’s death] he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
-Matthew 14:13-14 NLT
This passage shows us it really is better to give than to receive.
Jesus was in a state of grief over the loss of his cousin, and yet that didn’t stop him from having compassion for others.
In the same way, we can still care about the plight of others, even when we are dealing with our own struggles.
(And studies show that when we serve others in need . . . our own feelings of sadness will decrease.)
4) Get into the Christmas Spirit by . . . seeking Jesus. Even if your heart isn’t feeling it.
Let’s look at this passage in Matthew 14:13-14 NLT again:
“As soon as Jesus heard the news, [about John the Baptist’s death] he left in a boat to a remote area to be alone. But the crowds heard where he was headed and followed on foot from many towns. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
-Matthew 14:13-14 NLT
The other thing we can learn from this passage is that the people were willing to follow Jesus even when it was inconvenient.
They were willing to keep seeking Him even when it meant leaving the safety of the village and following Jesus into a remote place.
“When Christ and his word withdraw, it is best for us to follow, seeking the means of grace for our souls before any worldly advantages. The presence of Christ and his gospel, makes a desert not only tolerable, but desirable.”
-Matthew Henry
When we find ourselves in a remote place where our hearts and souls feel dry. When we find ourselves just going through the motions without really feeling it.
That is when we need to keep seeking Jesus.
Because someday our obedience will give way to a blessing.
Don’t believe me?
Well, think about this.
Do you know what happened to that crowd of people after they decided to follow Jesus into that remote area?
He had compassion on them. He healed them. And then He fed them.
Yep, that’s right!
This crowd was the very one who was blessed by the miracle of the 5 loaves and 2 fish! (Matthew 14:15-21)
Let’s keep seeking Jesus this Christmas, even if that means following Him to a remote place.
Even if our hearts aren’t into it.
Even if we are just going through the motions at first. (After all, our feelings tend to follow our actions.)
Because God rewards the faithful heart that seeks Him even when life is hard.
“Faithfulness to God requires your obedience, even when it’s difficult.”
-Jim George
5) Get into the Christmas Spirit . . . by slowing down.
I’m in a very busy season of life. Between work, church activities, and three teenagers I have a lot to juggle.
But Jesus gets it.
He understands.
He has been there, too.
While He was fully God. He was also fully human. And He went through many of the same things we go through.
He even dealt with busyness.
When He lived on this Earth, He was very busy, too. There were needs to attend to. People to help. And a rough group of guys to keep in line.
And yet, His answer to being busy wasn’t to work harder to get it all done.
But rather to slow down.
“But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
-Luke 5:16 ESV
Jesus knew that when life got busy, it was even MORE important to slow down and spend time abiding with His Father.
Because God is our strength. (Phil. 4:13)
And without Him . . . we can do nothing. (John 15:5)
When we spend time WITH God, we are reminded of the lengths He went to just to show us how much He loves us. And we’re reminded that we were never meant to do this life on our own . . . but rather in step with Him.
This is how we can find joy in the journey . . . even when the journey is hard.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes . . . including you.”
-Anne Lamott
6) Get into the Christmas Spirit by . . . lowering your expectations.
We don’t need the perfect Christmas.
We don’t need to do all the things.
What we need more than anything is to spend more time in the presence of our King. Whose birth we are celebrating.
So, don’t stress yourself out by trying to make it the perfect Hallmark Christmas. Don’t lose your cool with your loved ones because you’re trying to make room for all the yearly traditions.
Be okay with doing things differently if need be.
Lower your expectations.
And let Jesus show you what you really need to do . . . and what you really need to say no to.
7) Get into the Christmas Spirit by . . . focusing on the most important thing on your to-do list.
If the holidays are leaving you feeling stressed rather than blessed, maybe it’s time to get back to the basics.
Everything else can wait.
The most important thing on your to-do list is to get into God’s Word and pray!
- Meditate on His words.
- Sit still in His Presence.
- And let Him fill you back up.
Because you can’t pour from an empty cup.
When we take the time to be WITH God. He fills us up with His Holy Spirit. So, we can find rest, peace, and joy.
No matter how chaotic everything is around us.
8) Get into the Christmas Spirit by . . . holding onto hope.
The hard things we go through are a little easier to get through when we remember the hope we have in Jesus.
- Because of Him someday everything will be made right.
- Because of Him someday every tear will be wiped away from our eyes.
- Because of Him someday we will live in a place where there will be no more crying, suffering, or pain.
And when we take the time to reflect on the glorious future awaiting us, it gives us a reason to keep going. To keep smiling. To keep holding onto our faith.
To keep putting one foot in front of the other, knowing Jesus is with us every step of the way.
“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.”
-Hebrews 10:23 NLT
9) Get into the Christmas Spirit by . . . remembering God’s Promises.
Another great thing to do to get into the Christmas spirit is to take time to meditate on God’s many promises in the Bible.
Pondering all these things gives us plenty of reasons to celebrate!
God has promised:
- To be with us no matter what. (Deut. 31:8)
- To fight our battles for us. (Ex. 14:14)
- That He has a plan for each of our lives. (Jer. 29:11)
- That if we accept the gift of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice we will have eternal life. (John 3:16)
- To guide us. (Is. 58:11)
- To comfort us. (2 Cor. 1:3-4)
- To redeem all our pain and use it for good. (Rom. 8:28)
- To give us a future home that is free of tears. (Rev. 21:4)
When we reflect on God’s promises it reminds us of all the reasons we have to be joyful.
No matter what time of year it is.
“For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.”
-Titus 2:11 NLT
10) Get into the Christmas Spirit by . . . remembering the reason for the season!
We will naturally get into a more joyful, Christmas mood when we take time to reflect on the reason for the season.
At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. But the whole reason He even had to be born was so that someday He could pay the ultimate price for you and me.
Christmas was the beginning of His journey. The start of His mission to make a way for everyone to be saved.
Christmas was the first step in the journey to Easter.
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
-John 1:29 ESV
Jesus is the reason for the season. But His whole purpose in coming to this Earth was because He loved you. And He knew you needed to be rescued.
Reflecting on what Jesus did for us makes the whole Christmas season feel a lot more special.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
-Luke 2:11 ESV
Feeling the Christmas Spirit
Feeling the Christmas spirit begins with a choice. Because when our heart is not in the mood, we can still choose what we do.
We can choose to focus on our sorrows. All the reasons we have to complain. Everything we lack. Our overwhelming to-do lists. And all that is going wrong in our life.
OR
We can choose to focus on all the reasons we have to be joyful and full of hope.
We can consider all the things we have to be thankful for.
We can ponder our sins and how awful they truly are. And the fact that God loved us so much that He sent His Son down to this Earth to live the life we could never live (a life of pure perfection) and die the death we would never want to die.
All because of how much He loves us.
That is what we celebrate at Christmastime. And when we think about these beautiful truths we will naturally get into the Christmas spirit.
Because God’s amazing grace, reckless love, and merciful forgiveness . . . are definitely worth celebrating!
If this encouraged you to get into the Christmas spirit then please share it so we can help more people feel joyful during this season!
And be sure to check out these other fantastic Christmas and joy-filled reads:
You May Also Enjoy
How to Have Faith in God . . . Even When Life is Hard
10 Convincing Reasons to Trust God in All Circumstances
