The familiar words pierced the darkness.

Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

They reminded us of the One who reigns, even in dark places.

The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.

Our hearts rejoiced in the Light.

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. HALLELUJAH!

Never had the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah been so inspiring and meaningful as it was that night. It was December 2009 and we had been serving in Thailand for four months. We remembered again that God had called us to Thailand to shine Christ into the dark corners of that land and into the darkest recesses of peoples’ hearts.

We will soon celebrate, in a special way, Jesus’ coming. Jesus, the light of the world, came to dispel darkness. How can we shine the light of Christ to those who do not yet know Jesus this Christmas season? Here are several ideas:

• Host or attend a neighborhood party and look for opportunities to build relationships
• Give gifts to your neighbours
• Serve the needy in your community
• Have people over to watch The Nativity movie
• Invite friends to a Christmas Eve service
• Decorate your home with meaningful Christmas decorations that point to Christ
• Be friendly in long line-ups and crowded parking lots
• Purchase gifts like animals and water filters for needy people in developing countries

Of course, there are many ways to shine the light of Christ to others. I would love to hear what you do around Christmas to make Christ known (please leave a comment below).

I was barely two years into pastoral ministry when it happened. I burnt out. It took almost a year to recover from the fatigue and depression. As I struggled forward, I decided that with God’s help, I would never let myself burn out again.

By God’s grace and with several time management strategies in place, I have been able to stay clear of another major burnout period for the past 23 years.

Here are seven tips for managing your time and avoiding burnout:

Develop a life purpose statement

Understanding your purpose in life helps you to do what is best and not to get distracted by the many good options in life (you can read about how to do this in my Three Steps to Understanding Your Life Purpose in a Deeper Way post). God does not want you to meet every need or seize every opportunity that crosses your path. In fact, Jesus Himself did not meet every need he encountered. He understood what the Father wanted him to do. A sense of our life’s purpose will help us to follow God’s agenda for our lives (which, by the way, does not include major burnout).

Manage your schedule according to your life purpose

Schedule in daily, weekly, monthly and annual reflection times where you think through your priorities and arrange your life accordingly in your calendar. A life purpose is only a life purpose when it guides our lives.

Spend time alone with God

I need to spend time alone with God each day. I need to spend extended times with God so that we can go deeper in our conversations. For example, I just spent a day of prayer and planning at a local retreat center. These times alone with God help me to recognize God’s voice in the busyness and chaos of everyday life.

Leave room in your schedule for important interruptions

I love the food that we eat at Christmas. I love hanging out with family, playing games and just having good conversation. I enjoy exchanging gifts. Christmas lights bring a smile to my face.

Yet, I find that these Christmas trappings can sometimes distract me from the most important part of Christmas. Jesus, God’s Son and the One who would become the Savior of the world, was born in a stable in Bethlehem. Jesus Christ is the reason for celebrating Christmas.

Here are seven ideas for keeping Christ central during the Christmas season:

1. Read one of the Gospels or a Christmas Devotional

I am currently reading the Gospel of Luke as I go through the Christmas season. Some years, I have read a Christmas devotional. Focusing on Christ during my devotional times in December helps me to prepare my heart and mind for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

2. Celebrate Advent in Your Home

Early on in our marriage, one of our family members made us an advent wreath. Each year, we anticipate celebrating Jesus’ birth by lighting the advent candles on the four Sunday evenings before Christmas and on Christmas Eve. Our kids love this time of singing Christmas carols and putting our focus back on Christ.

3. Join the Advent Conspiracy

A couple years ago, our church encouraged people to join the advent conspiracy. The four tenets of the conspiracy are to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all. As a family, we decided to be more generous with those in need and to give less to those who already have so much (like us). We send out Christmas shoeboxes through Samaritan’s Purse and purchase animals, water filters, mosquito nets, and other items that help people who are struggling. We also look for people and causes closer to home that we can support a bit more at Christmas.

4. Recognize the Spiritual Significance of some Christmas Trappings