Posted by Pastor Decker | Posted in Biblical Answers | Posted on 01-12-2009
Christmas is almost here. It is a time of fond memories for most of us. Everyone has their Christmas traditions. Many we carried over from our childhood, and some we came up with ourselves when we had families of our own. However, one tradition that needs to die in Christianity is the hypocrisy of believing we are keeping Christ in Christmas while telling our children that their gifts came from Santa. I know that what I am about to say will probably ruffle some feathers, but it needs to be said. We so often get in a mold of thinking things are “harmless fun” that we do not see the significance or severity of those things.
Before you turn me off, please continue reading and consider some of the points I will try to make in this post. I am not the kind of person to bring someone dressed up like Santa in front of kids and pretend to shoot him…that doesn’t teach anything about the issue. (I do know of someone who has…it was a stupid thing to do!) However, I do want to lay out a few very simple and yet spiritual principles to this subject that should open our eyes to the seriousness of this issue. I know that many people see this as a ridiculous fight over a trivial matter, but as you will see if you continue reading, I believe it is much more than trivial. Satan has sold us a bill of goods wrapped up in cute and “harmless” Christmas paper, and we have accepted the gift.
Point #1: Santa Robs Children of the Objects of Thankfulness.
To tell our children that Santa brought them their gifts robs them of the true objects of thankfulness. Who do they really have to be thankful to? Firstly, they should be thankful to God, “from whom all blessings flow”. The Bible tells us in James 1:17,
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Our children need to learn that everything we have or will ever have comes from the blessings of our good and loving Heavenly Father. He will never run short of anything we need. He always knows what we need, even before we ask it. My kids don’t have to wait in line at a mall to tell the giver of gifts what they want for Christmas. They can go to God, the true giver of all good gifts, anytime, anywhere, and for anything, even when it’s not Christmas. We rob our children of their thankful spirit toward God by attributing the blessings of gifts to a fictitious character. Every time they pray, they are talking to the one they should be thankful to. Every time they go to church, they are in the house of the one they should be thankful to. They don’t have to wait until next year to sit in his lap and tell him, “Thank you”.
Secondly, they should be thankful to those who worked hard for the ability to purchase those gifts. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I only worked one job. Even though I work day and night all year long, I enjoy spending some of that hard earned money to see a smile on my children’s faces on Christmas morning. But, because I worked hard for that money, I expect a “Thank you”! If, at a young age, our children really believe in Santa Clause, they should only have to be thankful to him. HE DIDN’T WORK FOR IT, I DID! And although we would not have it if God had not provided it, we don’t believe in living off of other people’s hard work. We work…God provides. We diminish the respect and honor that our children should have toward us when we attribute all their gifts to someone who just made them in his workshop over night. My children need to realize the blood, sweat, and tears that are shed to provide not just the things they need, but also the things they want. I love hearing those sweat and grateful words coming from my children’s lips on Christmas morning, “Thank you, Daddy”. I did not work all year for some lazy, fat man to get all the credit for God’s blessing and my hard work.
Point #2: Santa Robs God of His Attributes.
I have known this and said this for many years, but it really hit me hard the other day. I was watching a football game (Roll Tide!) and a commercial came on. It showed a group of soldiers in the desert, coming back from a mission exhausted. Suddenly they began to see snowflakes flutter down. Soon, the entire desert floor was full of snow and smiles began to beam off their faces. Then the commercial changed scenes. It changed to a scene inside a mall, with a little boy walking away from Santa Claus. His mother took him in her arms and asked what he wished for, and he replied, “Something for Daddy”. Now, this may be a touching reminder of what our troops give up to fight for freedom, but it really hit me how many of God’s attributes we bestow upon a fabricated character.
Think about it for a moment…God is everywhere (omnipresent), knows everything (omniscient), and can do anything (omnipotent). What power do we attribute to Santa Claus?
“He sees you when you’re sleeping (because he is everywhere, right? – omnipresent); he knows when you’re awake; he knows if you’ve been bad or good (because he knows everything, right? – omniscient), so be good for goodness’ sake.” And, by the way, to get to you, he will defy the laws of gravity, matter, and energy (because he can do anything, right? – omnipotent). He can even control the weather and make it snow on request. Is anyone else troubled by this?
I know what you may be thinking, because I have heard it before. “Telling my kids there’s a Santa Claus isn’t going to destroy their faith in God.” You’re probably right. And if this issue was about you and your kids, there wouldn’t be a problem. However, this has nothing to do with you! It has everything to do with GOD!!! Let’s see what the Bible says about portraying someone or something to have the abilities and attributes of God. In Isaiah 42:8, the Lord said…
“I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”
And again in Isaiah 48:11…
“For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.”
This is the most serious point I can make about the teaching of Santa Claus. We have given God’s glory – the abilities and praise that belong only to Him – to another, and we call him Santa. Do we get it yet? It’s not some childish, trivial tradition. By the Word of God, IT IS BLASPHEMY! Yes, you heard right. It is BLASPHEMOUS to teach our children that someone who is not real has the abilities of God. One of the definitions of blaspheme is this:
(Webster’s Dictionary – 1828) BLASPHE’ME, v.i. 1. To arrogate the prerogatives of God.
The word “arrogate” means to assume or to make undue claims. We have allowed ourselves to be blinded by the oldest trick in Satan’s arsenal…mocking God. The tradition of Santa Claus allows a nonexistent person to “assume” the power, knowledge, and even the praise that belongs only to God. That makes this a very spiritual matter. How can we as Christians participate in anything that denigrates our God? We should be ashamed for being so blind and ignorant. Let us break off the chains of ignorance and forge a foundation of knowledge. Let us stop assuming everything in this world to be so harmless and begin to remember that this world is under the guidance of the father of lies.
This Christmas, please take care to give God the honor and the glory due to His name. Don’t give His glory to another. Wake out of sleep and step in the light of God’s common sense. Don’t lie to your children, but most importantly, don’t involve yourself in a tradition of blasphemy.
In the service of the KING,
Pastor Jared Decker
Well said Jared, great explaination for parents understand and pass to the next generation.