As Christians, we celebrate several holidays throughout the year where we remember what Christ has done for us. We celebrate His birth, remember His death and rejoice at His resurrection. But oftentimes, it can be easy to leave Him in the manger or in the sunrise service and continue on with our busy lives once the holidays pass. 

Christ came into our world as an infant, lived a sinless life and rose from the dead to set us free from our sins and give us eternal life. However, we often find ourselves stuck in the past or overwhelmed by our present troubles. How can we start keeping Christ first in life and take these truths to heart, carrying them with us and living free as He has called us to throughout the year?

1. Meditate on His Word daily.

The most important step for keeping Christ first in life is to read the Bible daily. Not only will it help you be at peace by focusing on Him (Isaiah 26:3), but it will also allow Christ to “cleanse (you) by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that (you) might be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25–26).

By staying in the Word daily, you will be able to be continually renewed and refreshed by God’s power and reorient your thoughts on Christ. You will create space for Him to speak to you on a daily basis and allow Him to speak through you, giving you peace and allowing you to share that peace with others.

2. Pray constantly. 

The Bible tells us to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Remember to invite Christ into your daily life and pray throughout your day. If you aren’t sure where to start, pray through a Psalm or the Lord’s Prayer, and ask God to speak to you through them. Then, as people or things in your life come to mind, ask Him to intervene.

Make this a practice throughout your day. Instead of turning to distractions when you’re anxious or trying to think through problems yourself, take a few minutes to invite Christ into your present circumstances. Don’t be afraid about saying the right thing — His Word reminds us that God “knows what you need before you ask him,” so we don’t need to be concerned with praying the perfect prayer (Matthew 6:6-8). 

3. Worship and thank God.

As 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us, it’s crucial that we “rejoice always” and “give thanks in all circumstances.” But why?

Hebrews tells us to “offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe” (12:28-29). In the book of Revelation, we get a glimpse into God’s throne room, where the angels and elders cry, “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (4:11).

So why do we worship God? Because He is worthy of it! It’s who He is, and as His creations, we are invited to worship Him along with those in heaven who cry, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8)!

On a personal note, I’ve found that no matter how discouraged or anxious I’m feeling, when I start to worship and thank God for who He is and what He’s done, I am reminded that He is with me and am empowered to face the day. By deliberately choosing to worship, we step into God’s goodness and allow Him to touch our lives as we recount His faithfulness to us.

Remember that these things are not meant as a checklist for you to complete so that you might be “good enough” to have God’s blessing or presence in your life. Instead, let them be an encouragement to you to continue after “the God of peace,” the one who will Himself sanctify us and keep us blameless until He returns (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24). It’s not something you can do, but rather, something God does in you and through you. 

So, be at peace, knowing God hears you and knows what you need — so you can “cast all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully]” (1 Peter 5:7).