Blogmas Series: 20 Ways to Serve Others

"Maybe Christmas, he thought doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps means a little bit more!" 

- Dr. Suess from How the Grinch Stole Chrismas

Somewhere along the way, in the hustle and bustle of life, we have forgotten about the real reason for this Christmas season. Who can blame us, with the constant bombardment from advertisements that tell us we need more stuff to fit in our already overly crowded homes. Which by the way, are filled to the brim with things we rarely use, but yet we have been convinced that we must have it.

Christmas is suppose to be a day that we celebrate and remember the birth of Jesus Christ. However, the world distracts us from the true meaning of Christmas which is JESUS.

Several years back, I noticed that I was guilty of this too. I had been swept away by consumerism and turned the focus of Christmas on myself and my family, instead of thinking about what I could do for others. Together, Jon and I prayed and asked God to help us to learn to serve others during the holidays, not just ourselves. With God's help, we have been able to begin to make service a regular tradition in our family during Christmas time. This transformed mindset has also spilled over into our lives, so that it is something that we try to do all year long. We're not perfect, but I am thankful that God has worked on us in this area to help us be more generous to others.

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." 

- Mark 10:45 ESV

Mark 10:45, is a good reminder that Jesus Himself didn't come to serve, but to serve others. In this day and age, this idea feels backwards in our world that tells us to look out for #1. It might feel counter cultural to serve others during Christmas, but don't let that stop you from embracing the truth and the example that Jesus set for us to follow.

Just remember that it's never too late to start serving others!! Regardless of how old you are, you can begin to implement this tradition of serving others, right now.

Below is a list of ways that you can serve others during the holidays. Especially if this is new for you, just pick one way to serve others each week from now until Christmas. I hope and pray that this will be a regular tradition that continues in your family for many years to come.

20 Ways To Serve Others

1. Pack a Christmas shoebox for Operation Christmas Child.
This is one of our favorite traditions! Even before Jon and I had kids, we were packing shoeboxes full of presents and sending them to children around the world.

2. Provide Christmas dinner for a family in need.
When you go to the store to buy your turkey or ham for Christmas, buy two of everything and then put it together in a box to give to your neighbors or another family in need.

3. Sing Christmas carols in a nursing home.
People living in nursing homes can get so lonely as they are away from family during the holidays. Anytime you can spend at a nursing home reading books or singing Christmas carols will truly be a blessing.

4. Deliver baked goods to local police, fire, or EMT station.
The police, fire, and EMT workers have such an important job and they don't get to take time off for the holidays. Let them know that you appreciate their hard work and sacrifice by blessing them with delicious baked goods.

5. Leave treats or notes for mailman.
Your mailman works hard to make are you have your mail everyday of the year. Give them some treats or a thank you note to let them know that you appreciate all the work they do.

6. Donate canned goods and other food to your local homeless shelter.
Go through your pantry and donate canned goods or other foods that your local homeless shelter needs. Make sure that these items aren't expired. It you don't have anything extra at home, buy extra canned goods the next time they go on sale and donate as much as you can.

7. Donate socks to your local homeless shelter.
One of the greatest needs of homeless people are socks and shoes. This is another very practical thing that you can donate to those in need this winter.

8. Go through your closets and donate clothes and toys.
Like I said before, our houses our full of stuff. Go through your closets and storage space and donate old clothes or toys to a families in need.

9. Donate children's book to your local library.
If you have extra books or book that don't fit on your book shelf, donate them to your local library. It will bless families that can't afford to buy books for their kids on their own.

10. Organize a garage sale or bake sale and donate the proceeds to charity.
You can do this as a family, small group, or Sunday school class. Put together garage sale and/or bake sale and then donate the proceeds to a charity.

11. Give money or gifts anonymously.
If you know of a family who is struggling, give them money or gift cards to help them out during this time. You don't even have to let them know it was you, but you can leave it on their door or in their mailbox.

12. Ring the Salvation Army bell at Christmas time.
Christmas is the time what Salvation Army sets up their donation buckets for people to give to during the holidays. Contact your local salvation army and see if they need people to ring the bell at Christmas time.

13. Do yard work for your neighbors.
Rake the leaves or shovel the snow for your neighbors, even if they can do it for themselves.

14. Mail a card to a solider.
We don't want to forget about the men and women serving protecting our country, who do not get to be home for Christmas. Send a Christmas card or mail a package to a solider who might be separated from their loved ones this Christmas.

15. Adopt a family.
Ask your church or local school, if there are families in need this Christmas. Purchase Christmas presents for everyone in the family and bless them with gifts that they can't buy themselves.

16. Serve meal at soup kitchen.
Contact your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter and offer to serve a meal to those in need.

17. Random acts of kindness.
The options are endless here. Just to name a few... You can hold the door open for someone. Buy someone's coffee. Buy someone's groceries. So many more!!

18. Adopt grandparents.
Contact your church to see if there are people that you can adopt as grandparents this Christmas. Have dinner with them or invite them over for the holidays. If you don't live close, you can simply just send them a Christmas gift to let them know you are thinking about them.

19. Sponsor an international child, like with Compassion.
This is something that goes beyond Christmas, but you can sponsor an international child and truly change their life.

20. Teach your children to give.
Lastly, don't forget to let your kids be apart of this season of giving. Let them come with you and be involved as you love and serve others together. It's going to make a lasting impact on their lives and change your family for the better.