Good Thoughts To Ponder

“So that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” — 2 Corinthians 1:4

One of my favorite Christmas movies is Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch (the 2018 version). In fact, some of my family members used to call me “the Grinch” because of my demeanor toward Christmas. It’s kind of funny now.

Now, I wasn’t out here putting canned goods on the top shelf so short older ladies couldn’t reach them, like in the movie. My issue was different. I didn’t hate Christmas itself. All I could hear was the swiping of the credit cards that piled into debt, loans being taken out, things being stolen, feelings of being overwhelmed, sad, deprived, and ungrateful for the things you did not get, which happened on the biggest retail day of the year, Christmas.

It was not always like this, but I allowed it to become my definition of Christmas. I let the commercial side overshadow what I thought Christmas truly represents—love, giving from the heart, and family. Many Christians celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas Day, and the birth of our Salvation surpasses everything else.

When I was a single parent with my older son, Darian, we had an agreement every Christmas: he would make a list of what he wanted, but he understood not to expect everything on it—just the one thing he wanted most. And every year, by God’s grace, he received that one thing. He never complained, never compared, and never acted entitled. True story.

But back to the movie. When I look at the story, it truly ministers. As a stronghold discernment mentor, I naturally focus on the identity beneath the behavior—the hidden agreements, the wounds, and the strongholds that shape how a person sees themselves and how they respond to others.

Everyone has a story that has allowed them to shape their character. The Grinch suffered from loneliness, and that loneliness made him turn inward, focus mostly on himself, and grow bitter. His behavior wasn’t random—it was rooted in pain, isolation, and the agreements he made with his own hurt.

And as people, we often focus on the “Grinch” in someone—the character shaped by their strongholds—rather than the transformation that has been made possible through redemption. Even in retail, when they sell Grinch paraphernalia, it highlights his ‘Grinch nature’—the character shaped by his stronghold—not the transformation that redemption produced. The focus is always on the wound, not the healing.

When the Grinch decided to take Christmas away, it fulfilled the saying, “hurt people hurt people.” His stronghold didn’t stay inside of him — it spilled out and affected everyone around him. That’s what strongholds do. They shape our behavior, our reactions, and even how we treat others, often without us realizing it.

But even though the Grinch tried to steal Christmas, something unexpected happened: his actions actually brought the people of Whoville closer together. Throughout Scripture, you see this same pattern — God sometimes allows certain disruptions, losses, or shake‑ups to draw people closer to Him and to one another. What the enemy means for isolation, God often uses for unity.

And then comes one of the most powerful moments in the movie: when the Grinch rings the doorbell. This is where you hear the voice of the enemy loud and clear. He expected anger. He expected rejection. He expected to be confronted, shamed, or punished. That’s exactly how the enemy talks to us:

• “They’re going to be mad at you.”
• “They won’t forgive you.”
• “You don’t deserve kindness.”
• “You’re still the same person you used to be.”
• “Your past disqualifies you.”

The enemy always prepares us for rejection, so we never risk restoration.

But what happened?
The opposite.

No one in Whoville brought up what the Grinch had done. No one rehearsed his wrongs. No one reminded him of his past. They accepted him with kindness and love. That mirrors the heart of God. When we ask for forgiveness, and become transformed by the renewing of our minds. He does not bring our former sins back to remembrance. He doesn’t hold our past over our heads. He receives us with open arms.

Jesus said we would be known by our fruit, and He commanded us to love others just as He loved us. The people of Whoville displayed that fruit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness — and that fruit broke the Grinch’s stronghold. It softened his heart, confronted his loneliness, and opened the door for transformation.

Reflection Question

What is your focus when it comes to Christmas — the things around you, or the love within you?

Journaling Prompt

Take a moment to sit quietly and reflect on your own story.
What past experiences, agreements, or emotions have shaped your “holiday identity,” and how might God be inviting you to shift your focus toward love, connection, and the fruit of Christ this Christmas season?

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for the way You use even simple stories to reveal deep truths about our hearts. Thank You for showing us that behind every behavior is a story, behind every stronghold is a wound, and behind every wound is a place where Your love longs to heal.

Lord, help us to see others the way You see them — not through the lens of their past, their mistakes, or their defenses, but through the lens of compassion, grace, and possibility. Teach us to display the fruit of Christ in every season, especially in this one. Let our love soften hearts, our kindness break walls, and our forgiveness silence the voice of the enemy.

Circumcise our hearts, God. Remove the layers that block intimacy with You — the fear, the pride, the old agreements, the loneliness, the bitterness, the self‑protection. Make our hearts tender again. Align our souls with Your Spirit so that we may love as You have loved us.

And as we enter this Christmas season, shift our focus. Turn our eyes from the noise, the pressure, and the expectations, and fix them on the true meaning of this season — the birth of our Savior, the gift of Your love, and the invitation to reflect that love to others.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Let me know what you think, and always ponder good thoughts.