In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may
see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
– Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
It’s a Wonderful Life is significant to me because it centers on the value of each person’s life and highlights the importance of community and finding our purpose. Throughout George Bailey’s life, he has sacrificed his dreams to serve others—staying in Bedford Falls to run the family business and helping his brother pursue his career. Intentional or not, George lives out the call to believers in Philippians 2:3-4 to “consider others better than yourselves.” He reflects humility and selflessness, putting others first. Yet George feels like a failure and thinks it might be better if he had never been born.
GUIDED BY HIS WORD
Like George, I know what it’s like to reach a point of despair where life feels like it has no value. For the majority of my 20s, I was strung out on drugs and alcohol. I had no hope and not only could I envision a world without me in it, I had thoughts of doing it myself. By my 29th birthday, I had reached a crucial point, crying out, “God, if you are real, show yourself and save me from myself!”
In the film, George is in such a place of despair that the angel, Clarence, lets George see his impact. Now, we may not have an angel showing us the alternate reality that could result from our absence, but God has given us the gift of faith and the guidance of his Word.
God not only kept me in this world, but he gave me a purpose and calling to help those who also suffer from addiction. The Bible teaches about the power of one life to influence others. Matthew 5:14-16 calls us to let our light shine so that others might see the good we do and glorify God. He has given us each other to spur one another on.
THE GOSPEL'S ASSURANCE
Though George didn’t realize it, he has had a profound effect on his family, friends, and community. We see how his selfless decisions and actions have shaped Bedford Falls. At the end of the film, many of the people George has assisted in the past, help and support him when he needs it most. Finally, George realizes his life is rich with love, community, and purpose. This points to the Gospel’s assurance that our true value is not in what we achieve but in who we are in relation to God and serving others.
At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of the One who epitomized humility and selflessness. Jesus humbled himself by being born into this world and then sacrificing his life for us. He obviously thinks we have value.
It’s a Wonderful Life can serve as a powerful reminder that each person is created with a divine purpose, that our lives are interconnected in meaningful ways, and that true richness comes not from material success but from loving others and being part of God’s redemptive plan.
Reflect: Think of someone who has really impacted your life. Do they know it? Consider telling them and offering them encouragement in return this Christmas.
