It Is a Wonderful Life!

Last week Kim and I once again watched one of our favorite Christmas classics, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” In the story, George Bailey, after having wished he had never been born, is given a glimpse of what his world would be like if that had been the case.  It’s a sad and pathetic part of the story.  George is made to realize that the brother, whom he had rescued from the icy waters when they were just kids, would have died thus never becoming the WWII pilot who himself saved dozens of fellow soldiers (all of whom were then killed in combat).  George’s wife ends up as an “old maid,” never having a family of her own. People throughout the town whom George had helped purchase homes of their own are left living in slums.  And Bedford Falls, that bright and wonderful little town, became a dark and terrible place to live, filled with all kinds of vices—all at the hands of the miserly Mr. Potter, whom George had fought off on behalf of the people. 

George had come to see his life as a failure. His guardian angel, Clarence, however shows George that, although he never got to travel the world and achieve things that made the headlines; although George never got the education nor the wealth that some of his friends had achieved, George’s life was anything but a failure. George Bailey’s life had affected so many other people’s lives with so much good. George’s life had affected a whole community of people and through them, had affected his world.  If George had not been born, life for many people would have been much different; his world would have been a much different place. 

The story makes me think about two things.   I’m first of all reminded that, each of our lives has an incredible affect upon the people around us and on the world in which we live.  We can decide whether or not our world will be a better place because of our presence within it. We can choose whether or not we will live for ourselves or use our lives to bring blessing to others. Ask yourself, what would your world be like today if you had never been born? 

Secondly, the movie makes me ask, what if Jesus had never been born? What would our world look like today—what would our lives look like today—if Jesus Christ had not come into our world?  Surely, we live in quite a different place because of Jesus and the gospel message that he brought.  Consider for a moment all the good that has been done in his name: hospitals and schools built, children fed, the poor taken care of, whole societies built on principles of justice and compassion that come directly from the Scriptures and the Gospel of Christ.  Consider all that he has done in your life personally.  Without the coming of Jesus, we would have no savior—i.e. no one to forgive us of our sin, no one to bring us back into relationship with God, no one to change our lives.  What if Jesus had not been born? 

Our lives and our world may not perfect, but we are far better off today because of the birth of Christ. We might say, it is a wonderful life because Jesus our Savior has been born!

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord.” (Luke 2:11 – NIV) 

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris