In Charles Dickens classic story "A Christmas Carol" there's an insightful conversation between Scrooge and the ghost of his business partner Jacob Marley.

It goes like this:

“You are fettered,” said Scrooge, trembling. “Tell me why?”

“I wear the chain I forged in life,” replied the ghost. “I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my own free will, and of my own free will I wore it.”

Marley's ghost states a universal truth...

We all have a hand in forging our futures with the choices we make.

When we apply this personally, it's sobering to ponder.

Yet at the heart of Christmas joy is the truth that Jesus sets us free from our chains...

As He delivers us from the penalty and power of our self-centered living.

After three nocturnal visits from the Ghosts of Christmas, Scrooge seems to have gotten this message.

And as he received it, it set him free to live joyfully in the service of others.

One of the reasons Dickens' story is so popular is that it resonates with practically everyone.

Who doesn't have fears and regrets about the chains they've forged through life?

And who but the most hardened souls don't consider their eternal destiny, and what it means for how they are called to live today?

Thank God for Christmas, and the way it shifts our outlook from gloom to hopeful anticipation.

And praise Him for the freedom Jesus brings us to use our lives serving His kingdom today.

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