What do you like most about Christmas? Presents? Food? Family? Holidays?

Charles Dickens

Ebenezer Scrooge

It’s tempting at Christmas to concentrate on the things we enjoy but forget about others

Dickens understood that Christmas is about celebrating something that is not at all selfish ‘Christmas is, or ought to be, the one time of the year when men or women open their shut-up hearts and think of the people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave and not another race of creatures altogether’.

Philippians 2:5-11 'In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.' (New International Version)

Christmas is a time to enjoy the presents, the food, the holiday, but it is also a time of year when we can choose to follow Charles Dickens’ advice and think about other people.

Thinking of others at Christmas… Go and help with a charity Include people Be really patient with your brother or sister this year Choose not to grumble about your family

This Christmas, why don’t you choose to help someone else?