“God bless us, everyone” could just be the most memorable line from any piece of fiction ever written. It may surprise you that when Charles Dickens wrote the classic A Christmas Carol, his intent was not to write words that would be immortalized throughout history; he was simply trying to pay the bills. In debt and discouraged at Christmas, Dickens wrote this famous story in just six weeks. While he did not earn a lot of money when it was first published, his novel would go down in history as one of the greatest Christmas “ghost stories” of all time. And though it’s a “ghost story,” there are many Christian undertones. Having spent several years as a literature teacher, I love delving into the depths of hidden meanings (whether intentional or not), and I’d like to put my spin on a few of my favorite lines found on the pages of this timeless treasure.

A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a selfish miser, who is visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve, allowing him to change his ways. 

Let’s examine the following lines and put them in a Biblical perspective.

“Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it.”

If we are honest, we like the darkness. We, like Scrooge, tend to lean toward quick fixes, isolation, “me time,” and the ole “I’ll do what I want to do attitude.” However, this merely makes way for an easy journey to a shallow relationship with Jesus. And that’s the exact opposite of what He wants. He wants us to dwell in the light. He wants us to share His love and His goodness. He wants us to fight the darkness—whether it’s depression, anger, or just sin, we are more prone to conquer it with the light of His love.

Being engulfed in His light allows us to help others – to draw others to Christ.  We are, after all, to “open their eyes [the lost], so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” Acts 26:18.

Because we are in Jesus, we are in the light because HE is light. (John 8:12)

“I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don’t make merry myself at Christmas, and I can’t afford to make idle people merry.”

The difficulty of living in the light often boils down to selfishness. We find it easier to be “left alone” and don’t have time to deal with others and their issues. But God’s Word teaches us to “be devoted to one another in love; to honor others above ourselves.” (Romans 12:10)

Scrooge thought he liked the dark selfish dwelling he had created until the ghost of his past reminded him that there are consequences for hording up the life that God has granted. 1 Peter 4:10 puts it like this, “Each of you use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace…”

Simply put, because we are receivers, we must be givers.

You know the story…Scrooge finally has a change of heart, after his eternal destiny is revealed by the third ghost, of course. But nonetheless, he changed.

“I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year.”

A change of heart is the only thing that can make us merry in our hearts all year long; even when times are tough—or dark—our hearts reflect the spirit of Christmas because we have been changed by the love of God.

If the ghosts of the past, present, and future were to visit us on Christmas Eve, perhaps they would share these reminders from God’s Word:

PAST - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

God has redeemed us from our past and gifted us with His Spirit to illuminate our paths.

PRESENT – “And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19

We experience transformation day by day as we grow in His grace and love.

FUTURE – “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

A new day is coming. A day when all tears will be wiped away, and we will finally experience a glorified life. So, stay the course and spread the light of God’s amazing grace.

From “Bah, humbug” to “God bless us, everyone!”

The reality is that we are not living in fictitious prose. The “bah humbug” days will come. But, the power of God brings great peace and joy to the believers, to those who have embraced His saving grace and seek to abide in His presence.