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.

 

“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. 

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