How Fathers Can Spiritually Lead During the Holidays
Three intentional ways to prepare your family for a Christ-centered Christmas.
Christmas can sneak up on even the most eager holiday enthusiast. One moment you're stringing lights and cueing up Andy Williams, and the next, you're standing in a Christmas Eve service, realizing with a pang that another season has slipped through your fingers. For many fathers, this moment stirs not only joy but also regret regret that we were present but unprepared, busy but not fully mindful.
While we may laugh at the chaos of the season or delight in its festive traditions, deep down we know that as fathers and leaders of our homes, we’re called to more than simply surviving the holiday rush. We’re called to shepherd hearts.
In Isaiah 32:8, the prophet writes, “He who is noble plans noble things, and on noble things he stands.” To lead our families well through Advent and Christmas, we need more than good intentions. We need a plan a Christ-centered plan that creates space for devotion, cultivates joy, and builds lasting traditions. Here are three practices that can help you seize this season for what it truly is: a sacred opportunity to point your family to Jesus.
1. Create Devotional Moments
The heart of Advent is anticipation not for gifts or gatherings, but for Christ. That’s why the most meaningful thing we can do during the holiday season is carve out time for God’s word.
Family devotions during December don’t need to be long or formal, but they do need to be intentional. Picture your family gathered for a brief but memorable moment around Scripture full of laughter, curiosity, and gospel truth. Don’t worry if your devotional times feel more like a circus than a seminary. That’s normal. The goal is not perfection but participation.
One approach is to think in terms of “teaser, takeaway, and treasure hunt.” The teaser is a fun, thought-provoking question that leads into the theme. The takeaway is a simple truth from the Bible passage short enough to remember, meaningful enough to shape hearts. And the treasure hunt? That’s where the magic happens: hide a small holiday treat (like a dessert or a family activity) in a place related to the devotion’s message, and let the kids work together to find it.
When done thoughtfully, family devotions can become not just informative but formational. As Hebrews 4:12 says, the word of God is “living and active.” We’re not just telling stories we’re shaping souls.
2. Capitalize on Seasonal Moments
The holidays overflow with opportunities for spiritual conversation and joyful celebration if we plan ahead to embrace them.
Every December, communities offer a wealth of events designed to stir up wonder: Christmas concerts, school pageants, theater productions, neighborhood light displays. These moments can become memory-makers and faith-builders, but only if we take time to plan.
Too often, we discover the best local events on the very day they happen only to find they’re sold out or conflict with something else. A little early planning goes a long way. Sit down with your calendar and your spouse at the start of Advent. Talk about each family member’s priorities. Mark out evenings for special outings. And don’t forget to build in rest because meaningful doesn’t mean nonstop.
These seasonal moments, when framed with spiritual intentionality, can become more than entertainment they can point to eternity. A city-wide tree lighting can become a conversation about Jesus as the Light of the World. A community concert can open hearts to the wonder of the Incarnation. With a little creativity, even a night of hot cocoa and caroling can echo the angels’ proclamation: “Glory to God in the highest!” (Luke 2:14).
3. Copy Memorable Moments
In a world that changes faster than we can track, traditions become anchors of stability for children. While the culture shifts, home can remain a place of consistency, warmth, and faithfulness.
Annual rhythms remind our kids and us that God is unchanging. As Isaiah 33:6 affirms, He is “the stability of your times.” And Hebrews 13:8 echoes, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
So what are your family’s repeatable Christmas traditions?
Some are unique: hiding stockings, “elf knocks” at the door, sibling gift exchanges before the big day. Others are shared by many: matching pajamas, a birthday cake for Jesus, reading Luke 2 before presents. It doesn’t matter how creative or conventional your traditions are what matters is their heart.
Traditions build a sense of belonging. They help our children know what to expect, look forward to, and treasure year after year. They also give us as parents countless chances to plant gospel seeds through repetition and ritual.
Don’t underestimate the power of “copying” what worked last year. Often, the most memorable parts of Christmas are the simplest moments done with love and consistency.
This Christmas, Be Ready
Too many Decembers end with a sigh of regret. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
By creating devotional moments, capitalizing on seasonal opportunities, and copying meaningful traditions, fathers can lead their families through a holiday season full of purpose and joy. And when Christmas Eve arrives, instead of feeling like it snuck past, you’ll look around at your family with gratitude and peace, knowing you were present and prepared.
The “feels” of the season are good but the faith that grows from a father’s leadership is far better. Let’s not miss it.
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