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