This is a guest post written by Michelle is a blogger and freelancer who's written about almost every topic under the sun, and loves constantly learning about new subjects and industries while she’s writing. In her spare time she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dogs. Follow her on Twitter and Google+.
It’s also important to remember that the holiday season often causes additional stress that could make people feel lost and uncertain of where to turn, especially if they don’t have faith in God to rely on during the hard times. Keep reading to get a few easy ideas of how to be a positive influence to others, whether they’re Christian or not.
Invite People to Your Holiday Events
If you’re planning on cooking a festive dinner or even just attending a candlelight service at your church, both of those situations are occasions where you could invite someone to join you. By extending an invitation in a warm and casual way, you’ll make it easier for someone to decline if he or she has other obligations, and you can also help someone feel relieved by having something to do instead of sitting at home alone.
Buy a Gift for Someone Who’s Struggling
There are many outreach campaigns that can help you improve the lives of people who are less fortunate, such as the local homeless population. However, think about doing something nice for someone who is a bit closer to you, such as a former coworker who was just laid off.
For example, you could buy car covers for a person if you overheard him or her proudly talking about having just bought a new vehicle prior to the disappointing job loss news. If you prefer to do your good deed anonymously, consider including a note that is also equipped with a strengthening Bible verse to help the person stay hopeful during the days ahead.
Host a Party for Community Children
Parents often find it difficult to keep youngsters occupied during the holiday season, especially if the little ones are out of school and there’s still shopping and other seasonal responsibilities to do. Think about organizing a kid-friendly event for your neighborhood. That’ll let parents breathe easily for a few hours without children in tow.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Matthew 9:12 deals with a situation in which the Pharisees were confused why Jesus characteristically chose to spend time with sinners. Jesus then said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Even as Christians, we might find ourselves becoming disconnected from the people that could most benefit from our background in faith. This often occurs as we spend a lot of time in church, but not enough interacting with people outside of it.
Whether you decide to visit with inmates who will be incarcerated during the holidays or perhaps spend some time brightening the days of people in the hospital, don’t be afraid to spend time in places that feel slightly uncharacteristic. You never know if something you say or do in those environments might encourage an unsaved person to ask you about how to accept Christ and receive eternal life.
These are just a few suggestions of how you can project the light of your faith to the people who may need it most. The holiday season means many things to different people. For Christians, there’s no better time to show the love of Christ through words and actions. Doing so may even encourage strangers to ask what’s different about us, presenting worthwhile chances to be witnesses every day.
