About 600 hours—that’s how many hours we get to enjoy during Christmas Break.

Eat. Sleep. Shop. Repeat.

That’s how most of us plan to spend our break.

We’ll eat all the yummy holiday foods, catch up on some much needed sleep, shop for those last-minute Christmas gifts, and we’ll repeat this cycle for a majority of the 600 hours.

We’ll also spend some quality family time driving around looking at Christmas lights, going caroling in the freezing cold and watching the Christmas classics on TV.

Oh, and don’t forget about the presents!

Christmas Break is a very selfish time for most college students—and BJU students are no exception.

While it’s wise to rest up and spend time with family and friends and enjoy all the holiday festivities, it’s also wise to use some of those 600 hours helping others.

You don’t have to buy new coats for every homeless person in your town or bake pies for all your neighbors.

You can give up something that’s more valuable to every college student than money—your time.

Sometimes it’s actually easier to give a material gift.

But the gift of time is usually more appreciated.

Use a few hours to volunteer at the homeless shelter in your town.

Serve Christmas dinner to the hungry mouths at the soup kitchen.

Sit with your elderly neighbor who is alone this holiday season.

Sing Christmas carols with your church family.

Visit the sick and dying patients in the hospital.

Witness to that lost friend you’ve been thinking about.

Share the Gospel with strangers on the sidewalk.

Or simply pray for lost souls in need of a Savior.

This Christmas Break, we can look beyond our selfish desires to snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa and a movie and shine the Light to the cold, dark world.