“And in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” (Luke 2:8–11)
When was the last time you truly felt wonder—that soul-deep, heart-gripping sense of awe? For most of us, it’s rare. Life has a way of dulling the edges of amazement. Fatigue flattens it. Cynicism buries it. Distraction replaces it. But Christmas—real Christmas—is an invitation to rekindle it. It calls us to stop scrolling, look up, and marvel again at the astonishing truth that God became man.
Here are four ways we can recover wonder this Christmas:
1. Study the Kids
For children, wonder comes naturally. My four-year-old grandson is a perfect example. His world is alive with awe, from fireflies to mountains, stories to stars. He finds wonder simply by stepping outside. For him, every moment brims with the enchantments of boyhood.
For adults, however, it’s different. Life’s demands and disappointments take their toll. The older we get, the more our sense of wonder diminishes. We pass a threshold where wonder visits less often, or perhaps it’s just harder to see.
Is that you? Has life’s clutter dulled your ability to marvel at the beauty and mystery around you?
Christmas, I believe, is God’s way of helping us reset. Like restarting a cluttered phone, Christmas clears our hearts and minds, reminding us to look up and be amazed. It’s a chance to ensure we haven’t wasted our wonder on lesser things and to refocus it on the astonishing reality of God’s gift to us in Christ. If you can relate, find a kid and learn a lesson.
2. Wonder at the Audience God Chose
Of all people, God sent the angels to announce the Savior’s birth to shepherds—the outcasts of their day. They were poor, untrusted, and invisible. Yet heaven’s most glorious message came first to them. Why? Because God delights in lifting the lowly. Christmas reminds us that grace finds the forgotten, that the glory of God often breaks into the dark fields of obscurity. This Christmas, remember: if He came for the shepherds, He came for you too.
3. Wonder at the Way God Speaks
The angels’ message was like an ancient emergency broadcast. It interrupted everything: “Fear not… I bring you good news of great joy.” The announcement of Christ wasn’t delivered to emperors or influencers but to those ready to listen. God’s greatest news often comes quietly—through His Word, through worship, through whispers in the night. Make space this season to listen. Turn down the volume of everything else so you can hear heaven’s message again.
4. Wonder by Responding Like the Shepherds
The shepherds didn’t stay in the fields. They went to see the Savior, and when they found Him, they couldn’t keep silent. “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them” (Luke 2:18). True wonder always moves us—it propels us toward worship, witness, and joy. This Christmas, respond to wonder by retelling the story: share it with your kids, your friends, your neighbor, your unbelieving coworker. Wonder grows when it’s shared.
The first time we took our kids to the Jersey Shore, I saw something that perfectly illustrates our misplaced sense of wonder. As we walked down the path to the beach, there was a pile of broken toys in the sand. My kids, heading toward the ocean for the first time, stopped short. They were captivated by the toys, exclaiming how amazing they were.
I stood there smiling, thinking, “If you’re this excited about broken toys, wait until you see the ocean!” Their wonder circuits were about to be blown wide open. I couldn’t wait to steer them towards the greater glory.
It wasn’t that my kids lacked wonder. Their bar for it was just too low. And isn’t that us? We so often waste our wonder on trivial things, missing the grandeur of what God has placed before us. Christmas serves as an annual “wonder check,” reminding us to lift our eyes from the broken toys of life and behold the infinite beauty of the Savior.
Like the shepherds, let’s marvel at the Savior, share His story, and allow the wonder of His birth to transform our everyday lives. In the ordinary routines and mundane moments, may we find glimpses of the extraordinary grace of Emmanuel—God with us.
Today’s Tenacious Question
Where has your sense of wonder gone this year—and what would it look like to lift your eyes from life’s broken toys to the vast ocean of God’s grace?
Prayer
Father, restore my wonder. Help me see the glory of Christ’s birth with fresh eyes—like the shepherds who left their fields to find the Savior. Deliver me from small amazements and low expectations. Open my heart to marvel at grace, to worship with joy, and to share the good news that still changes the world: Unto us a Savior is born. Amen.
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash
