The Best Gift of Christmas Day
Christmas morning is already loud before your feet hit the floor. Today’s devotion invites you to slow down, put Jesus first, and remember that the greatest gift you’ll unwrap isn’t under the tree; it’s already come.
Christmas morning is already loud before your feet hit the floor. Today’s devotion invites you to slow down, put Jesus first, and remember that the greatest gift you’ll unwrap isn’t under the tree; it’s already come.
What if the first gift you opened on Christmas Day wasn’t a notification—but the presence of Jesus?
For many of us, Christmas morning starts with noise: phones buzzing, schedules filling up, photos to post, and expectations to manage. Even on the day we celebrate God coming near, it’s easy to rush past Him on the way to everything else.
That hurried start quietly shapes our hearts. When our first moments belong to our phones or our to-do lists, we carry that restlessness into the rest of the day, into our homes, our conversations, and even our joy.
But Christmas tells a different story. God didn’t send instructions or reminders. He came Himself. Jesus moved into our neighborhood, bringing good news and great joy. When we give Him our first attention, even for a few minutes, it reorients our hearts and changes how we show up for the people we love.
BY THE TIME YOU FINISH LISTENING, YOU’LL DISCOVER:
- Why Christmas morning is the perfect time to reset your attention toward Jesus
- How giving God your first moments can calm your heart before the day takes over
- A simple, meaningful way to start a Christmas tradition centered on Christ
Scripture Mentioned in This Episode
“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” (John 1:14, NLT)
“but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:10–11, NLT)
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The sun isn't even up yet. But the day is already a buzz.
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Group texts are pinging, photos are coming in, and the oven
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timer is set, and your phone is glowing with notifications that
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want your attention before you've even had a chance to
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breathe. It's Christmas Day. But if we're honest, most of us
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still wake up reacting to everything with already a full
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schedule. What might be different if, on the day we
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celebrate God coming near, the first 10 to 15 minutes belong to
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Him instead of your inbox or your to-do list?
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Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I'm Bart Leger, and
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I want to start your Christmas Day by reminding you of
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something simple, but I believe extremely powerful. The greatest
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gift you'll unwrap today isn't under a tree. He's already come.
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His name is Jesus. For a lot of us, Christmas morning is one big
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blur. Kids are up early. Text and group chats are pinging.
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There are photos to post, meals to prep. Maybe you're visiting.
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It's loud. It's fun. It's also very easy to reach for your
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phone or your to-do list before you ever reach for God. But
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listen to how John describes Christmas in one powerful verse.
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That's Christmas. The eternal Word. Jesus became flesh and
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moved into our neighborhood. God didn't stay distant, and He
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didn't send a message. He came Himself. And in Luke 2: 10-11,
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when the angel appears to the shepherds, we hear these words,
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but the angel reassured them, Don't be afraid. He said, "I
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bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people."
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The Savior, the Savior. Yes, the Messiah, the Lord, has been born
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today in Bethlehem, the city of David. Good news. Great joy for
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all people today. On Christmas Day, God's message to you is not,
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"Do more," "be more," or "impress me." His message is,
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"I'm with you," "I've come near," "I'm here to save," not
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to condemn." If we're honest, though, most of us still live
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like Martha from the Bible, more than her sister Mary, even on
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Christmas. We start the day reacting to notifications and
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photos, group texts, and family expectations. Our minds are
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racing before our feet hit the floor. You've heard me talk
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about the story of Samuel James in a previous devotion, who
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tried one simple change: putting his phone out of reach and
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giving the first minutes of the day to Jesus. He discovered that
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something happens when the first 15 minutes belong to Jesus, not
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your timeline. Your heart gets settled before your schedule
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takes over. Your attention gets retrained toward Christ, so you
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can actually show up for real people in real community. And
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Christmas is the perfect day to practice that. The first two
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minutes is quiet.
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gifts, before the photos, and before you begin scrolling, what
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if you gave Jesus your first undivided attention? What if you
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treated his presence as the first and greatest gift you open?
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Let me paint a picture. The house is still quiet. Maybe it's
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just you awake, or maybe a couple of family members.
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Instead of reaching for your phone, you reach for a Bible.
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You read the Christmas story out loud, Luke 2: 1-20, or even a
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portion of it. You pause, and you thank Jesus specifically for
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coming, for saving you, for walking with you this past year,
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for being God with us in your joy and in your pain. And then
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you pray. It doesn't have to be let it be real. You invite him
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into the whole day, and to the laughter, and the meals, and the
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travel, and even the stress. Those little practices, I
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believe, can reorient an entire life. Here's today's challenge.
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Make a simple Christmas tradition that puts Jesus first.
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Literally. Before you touch your phone, spend at least five
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minutes reading part of the Christmas story. Luke 2: 1-20,
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or John 1: 1-14 are great places to start. Then spend five
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minutes talking to him. Thank him for Name the things you're
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grateful for this year, and be honest about the things that are
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hard. Ask him to help you be present, to him and to the
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people around you. And if the phone keeps pulling you back,
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how about changing its location? Plug it in across the room.
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Leave it in another part of the house for the first 30 minutes
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of Christmas morning. Love this morning. As I've said before,
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it's not about being anti-technology. It's about
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being pro-presence, fully present to the God who came near.
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And fully present to the people he's given you to love. Start
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with the word. Talk to the Lord. And then let everything else
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take a Talk to the Lord. Jesus, thank you for coming. Thank you
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that the word became flesh and made his home among us. Today, I
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don't want to rush past you on the way to everything else.
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Before I open a single gift, or answer a single message, I want
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to give you my attention and my heart.
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spirit, aware of your presence, and fully present to the people
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around me. Be my joy and my peace and my center this
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Christmas. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for joining me today on
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Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. Remember, the greatest gift this
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Christmas isn't under the tree. He's already come, and His name
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is Jesus. Come back next time for more encouragement to help
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you live grounded in God's truth. Until then, God bless, and have
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a very Merry Christmas.
