Have you ever noticed the great irony of the Christmas holidays? What should be the most wonderful time of the year is often the most depressing, stressful time of the year. For millions of Americans, the yuletide is more misery than merriment. To help make sure that doesn’t happen to you this Christmas season, I thought I’d throw a little Christmas caution your way by citing four seasonal pitfalls that all of us need to avoid at this time of year.

1. A Secular Priority

As Christians, we must not allow the culture to shape the way we celebrate Christmas. The secular world focuses on the temporal and commercial side of Christmas, which tends to pander to our self-seeking desires, and the Savior often plays second fiddle to Santa. Christian husbands and fathers need to make sure their families understand the true meaning of Christmas. That means more than just attending a Christmas Eve service or singing a carol around the fireplace. It means you ensure the story is understood by your kids; that the reason we give gifts is because God gave His only Son to die on a cross for our sins. As I’ve often said: unless we see the cross overshadowing the cradle, we’ve missed the real meaning of Christmas.

2. A Selfish Perspective

Self-seeking desires don’t just happen on the receiving end of gift giving. Another problem that looms at Christmas is that we can become more concerned with impressing than imparting. Are you thinking more about wanting to wow others with your generosity than impacting them spiritually? On the opposite end of the spectrum, you may resent feeling obliged to give gifts to family, friends or colleagues. Either way, these attitudes basically make Christmas more about you than about the One whose birth we celebrate. To counter this, think of a way you might be a blessing to someone in need, or about how you might share your faith with someone.

3. A Spending Problem

Christmas should not be a time when you go into more debt. In fact, Christmastime is when self-discipline is needed the most—and Christmas shopping isn’t the only culprit. Holiday parties and meals, travel, Christmas decorations and movies all contribute to the pressure on your wallet. Control the urge to spend with those plastic-people-eaters called credit cards. We should not only spend within our means; we should also give within our means. Therefore, evaluate every purchase to determine if it’s really affordable. For more tips on how to keep your Christmas expenses in check, click here.

4. A Sudden Disappointment

It’s amazing how often people find themselves depressed right after the holidays. According to one article on post-holiday depression, as many as 25% of Americans suffer from low-grade to full-blown depression after the holidays. Oftentimes, the first three pitfalls, fatigue, or the inability to be with family and friends all can contribute to the Christmas blues. Usually, underneath all of those reasons is a deeper reason: namely, we hope to squeeze some meaning, comfort or peace-of-mind out of a holiday that it simply can’t give. In the course of one day, the holiday hype and excitement dissolve and depression sets in.

If you’re feeling disappointed, ask yourself why. Dig deeper than the surface and be honest about what you’re really believing about Christmas. Does the way you think, the things you want, and the choices you make at Christmastime display worship to God because of the incredible the gift of his Son? Or do they point to a hope you may unwittingly have other than Christ?

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I remember seeing a bumper sticker one year that read, “I BRAKE FOR CHRISTMAS.” That’s really good advice for all of us. Stop and smell the evergreens. Don’t celebrate the 25th at the expense of the 26th. Keep Christ at the center of your celebrations, seek to bless rather than be blessed, hold those credit cards in check, and be sure to rejoice the day after by remembering the greatest gift has been given for the worst of sinners.