The Christmas holiday offers a wonderful time to celebrate the birth of our Lord, but the celebration can be awkward with extended or even immediate family members who don't recognize Jesus as Lord. Thinking through those potentially awkward moments in advance can help us accomplish what we'd all agree is the most important part of the holiday celebration - making a walk with Christ look attractive. Here are some tips to help you accomplish that.

Pray, Pray, Pray

First Thessalonians 5:17 reminds us to "pray without ceasing". Wouldn't it be great if we prayed for our lost family members from holiday to holiday? Consider organizing your list of prayer concerns and finding a way to take those to God every day. Does prayer matter? I don't think prayer would be mentioned so many times in God's Word if it didn't matter. Pray.

Sharpen Your Story

What has God done in your life? Think through both your personal spiritual story and other ways God blesses your life. But don't force them in where they don't fit. Find the balance between waiting for the absolutely perfect moment, which may never come, and recognizing that conversations ebb and flow. 

For your spiritual story, be able to describe your life before Christ, how you found Christ, and how Christ has changed you. It's ideal to think of two adjectives to describe your life before Christ and two opposite adjectives to describe your life after following Christ.  

Also, consider memorizing a few verses that are particularly meaningful to you that might also be meaningful to others. Just this morning, I was in Revelation 22. Verse 17 says, "Let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life."

Don't Take the Bait

Sometimes, nonbelieving family members love to get under our skin and see if they can knock us off a perceived holy perch. Other times, they could be rude and uncaring in the moment . Either way, take it for what it is, and hold out for a higher purpose. "A gentle answer turns away anger." (Proverbs 15:1)  There are also some lifestyle practices that we might prayerfully consider abiding with temporarily for the overall benefit of the Gospel. Remember, Jesus hung with sinners and was criticized for it.

Serve Them Well

Do the little things to make the holiday go well. Volunteer to do the thing that no one else wants to do. Take an extra dish just because. Take out the trash. "He who wishes to be greatest among you must be your servant" (Mark 10:43).

Choose Discussion Topics Wisely

Don't talk about politics or bring up old family arguments. You may be passionate about your political party's plan to save the country, but don't forget about Jesus' bigger plan to save mankind. Sometimes, trying to accomplish one will get in the way of the other, and we can even forget who is listening when we have discussions. Do you know the spiritual condition of everyone in your family? That makes the next point very important!

Listen More Than You Talk

Some of us are natural-born talkers, and a family gathering is like going fishing in a barrel of hungry bass. But when we talk, we aren't learning anything about others or where they stand with Jesus. We aren't building any credibility with them by showing we care about them and what's going on in their lives. Practice asking questions and listening. 

But Do Talk

And some of us are shy. We are happy to sit and let others do all the talking. Maybe you'll have to catch family members when they wander away from the herd to get a word in edgewise. In fact, when you get to in-depth spiritual questions, one-on-one moments are often much better than a big group discussion. That strategy recently worked for me. I asked my nephew's girlfriend, "What is your spiritual background?" I was delighted when he jumped into the conversation too. 

Questions to Ask Yourself

• Do people around me feel loved or judged?

• Am I holding people to higher standards than Jesus would?

• Would someone look at my life and say, "I want that peace in my life!"

Always Be Ready

In closing, I can't help but remember 1 Peter 3:15, which reminds us to "always be prepared to give an answer... for the hope that you have... with gentleness and respect."  Another part of that is walking by the Spirit, as Galatians 5:25 reminds us. But that doesn't mean waiting for a sign from God to be faithful to share about Jesus. He already gave us His word that commands us to share. I've learned that in the heat of the moment, I'm not good at discening whether to start a conversation. My solution is to throw out a little something and then follow it where it goes, or not if it doesn't fly.

May God give you wisdom as you follow your heart's desire to see your family know the love and peace of Christ that you enjoy.