It's A Wonderful Life

There is an old 1940's movie 'It's A Wonderful Life' that is often shown on TV at Christmastime, yet its message reaches far beyond Christmas. At its heart, it is a story about purpose, community, and the quiet impact of a life lived for others.

The film follows George Bailey, a man whose dreams of adventure and success are repeatedly deferred as he chooses responsibility, family, and service over personal ambition. To the outside world, George’s life appears unremarkable—even disappointing. Under the weight of financial pressure and personal sacrifice, he comes to believe that the world would be better off without him.

This is where It’s a Wonderful Life delivers its most powerful insight. Through the intervention of Clarence, an unlikely angel, George is shown what life in his town would look like had he never existed. The absence of George reveals a harsher, colder world—one lacking kindness, generosity, and hope. The film makes a compelling case that significance is not measured by fame or wealth, but by the lives we touch along the way.

George Bailey is not portrayed as a flawless hero. He is frustrated, weary, and deeply human. Yet it is precisely his ordinary faithfulness—his small, repeated acts of goodness—that gives his life meaning. In reminding George of this, the film gently challenges viewers to reconsider how they measure success in their own lives.

Ultimately, It’s a Wonderful Life is a celebration of community and compassion. In a world that often prizes individual achievement, the film offers a countercultural truth: a life rooted in love, generosity, and connection is, indeed, a wonderful life.

Maybe at the start of 2026 you feel overlooked, discouraged, or insignificant. Be reminded that you matter and you bring to this world what no one else can. You are deeply loved by God and YOU matter.