Why Christians Should Absolutely Let Their Kids Believe In Santa. 

  

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Be honest… You just sang that line. Me too! Lights are going on trees and houses. We’re transitioning all the decorations in our house to reds and greens. And we can’t get enough of the Christmas movies from Hallmark, Lifetime, and ABC Family!

We’ve been out buying presents for everyone. Sneaking them in the house and hiding them in a place we hope nobody will look. It’s a game in my house. Who can hide the gifts the best. And sometimes… We even forget where we hid things!

I love this Christmasy time of year! (Rudolph)

I love what it represents. The joy on people’s faces. The hope that is in the eyes of all children. The peace we have in the midst of our circumstances. The love everyone has for all! 

I love that we take time and reflect back on the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place. The fact that Christ came to earth for us. He is Immanuel. God with us! He is our Messiah. Which means rescued by arrival! We were rescued from our sins the very moment he showed up! That’s exciting!

And let me just say this: No… Jesus isn’t the reason for the season… He’s the reason for life! All year long. So let’s drop that saying!

There is however one more thing I’m excited about… SANTA! (I know him)

My kids are beside themselves at the fact that in 15 days… Santa is coming to town! Heck… I think I get even more excited than they do. 

And because I’m a Pastor… Sometimes that doesn’t sit well with people!

“How dare you lie to you children!” “Santa takes all the focus off of Jesus and puts it on kids getting stuff they don’t need!” “And you call yourself a Pastor.”

My very spiritual response to people saying this… “Shut up!”

I believe it’s vital to all Christians to allow your kids to believe in Santa. Here’s why:

1. It’s Fun!

Let’s be honest… There is nothing greater than watching the look on your kids face when they see Santa, talk about Santa, or wake up to all the gifts Santa brought. It’s pure joy! 

And it typically starts in my house with the girls screaming “there he is… there he is” on Thanksgiving morning watching the parade! Just the thought of Santa coming makes even the littlest of kids excited and that is something I don’t want my kids to miss out on. 

Sometimes we can be to spiritual for our own good and miss moments that are just fun. Not every moment in life is a spiritual one. And if you try and make them all spiritual… You’re well on your way to living life with no friends. People simply don’t want to be around people like that. 

Lighten up! Santa is fun!

2. With good behavior comes great reward!

Santa is watching you! You better be good for goodness sake. We tell our kids this from time to time. Most the time we just give them a look that says if you don’t behave you’re gonna be in big trouble. So they behave fairly well for small kids. 

Some people say no… Your kids should behave well regardless of getting anything. Well yes… And no…

Yes they should behave well. No they aren’t going to all the time. They’re kids. They’re still learning. And I’ve seen over and over again… You get the behavior that you reward. If I am constantly praising them for doing things right… They understand that better than yelling at them when they get things wrong!

The rewarding let’s them know when they are on the right track. 

Does that mean we don’t discipline them… Heck no! They stay in trouble. They understand consequences for when they do wrong. But I want them to understand rewards when they do right as well!

Santa is all about rewarding your kids for being great all year long! And I’ve heard my kids say time and time again… “I must have been really good this year!” And that’s when I get to speak into their lives and say… Yes! Yes you have. And I’m so proud of you!

Help your kids understand that when you behave well… Great things come your way!

3. You’ve got to believe in something bigger than yourself!

This is the most vital. It’s critical at an early age for your kids begin to believe in something bigger than themselves. They’re going to need this ability when they’re older. Let’s face it… Life is tough. And there is no possible way we can make it on our own. You must have faith! 

Faith is something that is taught. It has to be developed.  Faith is tried and tested. You’ll need to be able to defend it at times and explain it at others. 

And Santa is a great way to teach your child about having faith in something bigger than themselves. 

Look… My 5 year old doesn’t quite understand that God sent his son to earth to die a criminals death and save us from eternal damnation. I’m not sure I even grasp that fully! I can try to explain it to her… But she isn’t going to understand. 

So… I start with Santa. A guy who makes toys in the North Pole. And if she behaves well all year long… He will bring her some toys. 

And when Santa in fact does bring her toys on Christmas Day… She begins to have faith. It’s tangible. She can see it. Her faith grows over the years. 

I know what some of you are thinking. That’s great. But what about when they find out Santa isn’t real. Are they going to think God isn’t real either?

Well… They shouldn’t. Not if you as the parent have been demonstrating your faith in God. Remember faith is taught. If you’re just teaching them about Santa… And not Jesus… You may have some issues with this. 

But if your kids see you praying with them, reading your bible, attending church, etc… They’re going to understand the importance of God. 

Santa is only in the spotlight for a month… Jesus should be the center of your family all year long. 

If your kids see you demonstrating your faith in God… Santa won’t even be an issue. 

And I’ve never sat in my office and heard someone say… I don’t believe in God… Because Santa wasn’t real! I have however heard people say… I don’t believe in God… Because people are fake and they act totally different when they aren’t in church. 

So who’s really turning people away from God… Santa? Or fake Christians? Ouch. 

So there it is… Why I think Christians should absolutely let their kids believe in Santa. 

What are your thoughts?