Do You Believe in Santa?

 "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human...They exchanged the truth about God for a lie." Romans 1: 22-25

    Being the youngest child in my family, I recall feeling quite foolish and a little angry when I uncovered the truth about Santa Claus. Now, I realize the cultural icon Santa has become and the idea that he's not a bad chap; he brings toys to all the good little ones and all that jazz, but he's a myth. How much more benevolent is a gracious real Heavenly Father who sent His one and only begotten Son into the world to save it? And the requirement for this salvation is not being "good little boys and girls," but it's a free gift, bought and paid for by the lifeblood of Christ! There are no lumps of coal doled out when we sin, rather "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) While we were yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8). 

    These words of Psalm 103 say it best: "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion." (verses 2-4) What a plethora of gifts!

    All of the extraneous falderal that surrounds Christmas is a smokescreen to obscure the truth about the glory of the immortal, loving and incarnate God, and if we perpetuate these stories to our children, how will they ever see the Bible as being anything other than a collection of fables? We pathetically build up myths to become the new reality, but find it difficult to believe in the Scriptures.

 Peel back the secular santas, snowmen and silver bells and join the shepherds of Bethlehem who, after seeing the baby in the manger for themselves, went and spread the word to anyone who would listen (Luke 2:17). Level with your children and grandchildren from the beginning by telling them that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Believe in Him, not Santa, and you will receive indescribable, unique gifts that you would never dream of exchanging.

"And this is the testimony; God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5: 11, 12