What does the Bible say about Santa?

You prolly saw the title for this blog and thought, “Uh, nothing, Hil.  The Bible never mentions Santa!”  Oh, but it does in a large sense.  If you will give me a moment I will share Scripture that my husband and I have leaned on for years when it comes to Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, etc.  Seeing that this is a controversial subject and it comes up every year around this time of year, what’s one more blog about it?

My kids are long past the age of make-believe.  Marty and I didn’t teach them to fantasize about anything.  We didn’t tell them that someone other than Christ gave them anything.  Sure, we go to the store and buy their Christmas and birthday gifts, but they know that ultimately, the blessing comes from the Lord – which includes Marty’s job and paycheck.

Many argue that it’s ok to tell their kids that Santa is Jesus’s errand boy, so to speak.  But is that giving the full measure of glory to the Lord?  If I took the time to shop for, or even make a gift to give to someone, I have done it out of my heart.  How insulted would I be if, when I went to a shower, the bride or mother-to-be was presented with my gift and told that the person who handed it to her gets the credit because that person was the go-between?  Very much so.  I would have taken the time to check the gift registry.  I would have taken the time to pick something out, pay for it, wrap it, and bring it to her.  No way is someone else going to take credit for that!  And what if the bride thanked someone else for the gift I gave knowing full well my name was on the gift card?  I would be pret-ty miffed!

“But Santa can be shown kneeling before the Cross!” so the contention goes.  Just like any other figments of my imagination.  They are in my head.  But they aren’t God.  They aren’t the One Who gave Himself fully for me on that Cross.

Here are a just a few of the verses we stand on.

Exodus 20:1-6

 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

 You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.  You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

The name God uses for Himself when He calls Himself Lord is “eternal God.”  Revelation 1:8 says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”  

Jealous means just that – not to be equated with school girl territorial spats.  It means that God is Who He says He is and has every right to say that nothing shall come before Him.  He will not stand in anyone’s shadow.  He made the shadows. 

If God is Who He says He is, I don't want to mess with that.

Next: 
 Isaiah 42:8

“I am the LORD: that is My name: and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.”

He wants credit given where credit is due.  He is the Only One to be worshipped, to be thanked, to be adored.  Rightfully so.  His Son gave His full life for us on the Cross.

Next: 

James 1:17

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” 

The concept of the small god, Santa, is fashioned after a man.  Yes, there was a St. Nicholas who was a really generous guy.  My dad was generous, too, but I think he would roll over in his grave if anyone idolized him.  And, St. Nicholas was still a sinner who needed salvation like the rest of us.  He, like us, changed like shifting shadows with the next fickle whim that came along. And he didn’t die on the Cross for me.

The modern Santa puts full condition on the recipients of presents.  Bad or good.  Naughty or nice.  So much so that children are taught grace by performance.  Write to Santa and tell him what you want.  Tell him you’ve been good this year.  See if the sugar daddy will bring you what your heart lusts after. 

Until the Sears catalogue went out of print, children everywhere awaited the arrival of the Christmas edition in mail.  The eyes scanned each item on each page of the toy section, and copious lists were made in the hopes that something – or many things – would be under the tree.  I was taught to lust after stuff.  I still do to some degree, and I have to do some self-correction when I find myself wanting things I don’t need.

God is no sugar daddy.  He is generous, kind, wonderful, patient, loving – but not a spineless wimp.  His gifts are not deserved by anyone.  No one can earn anything.  They are fully of His grace.  Each breath I take, each time I get up and walk, each time I have a morsel of food to put in my mouth to satisfy my hunger pangs - all are by His grace.

Which brings me to my final verse (although I know the list cannot be exhausted:)

I John 2:16

“For everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.”  The One Who died on the Cross tells me to forsake everything.

I don’t believe God says we can’t give and receive gifts.  I don’t believe God says we can’t celebrate Christmas or the day of His resurrection.  If they are done in His name, for His name, and credit is fully given Him, why not? 

How do we do Christmas gifts with the boys?  They get three each to represent the gifts of the Magi.  They have never asked for more.  They know what to expect.  Yes, my kids lust after stuff like the rest of us.  I hope we have given them a good foundation, though.  I won’t sit here and tell you I am Wonder Mother who does charity work with my kids on holidays.  (We do that other times of the year with our home school groups.)  I won’t tell you that we have asked them to give up their favorite presents.  I won’t tell you that we have done thankfulness jars in which we place pieces of paper on which we have written things we are thankful for and then read through them at the end of the year.  I tried that.  It lasted about…..a day.  I am not that disciplined. I once tried to do the “share something you’re thankful for” with extended family at Thanksgiving.  Awwwkward!   So I told them about my procedure instead.  (kidding)  To the parents who can pull off that stuff – God bless you.  I give you a lot of credit.   But I do hope Marty and I have modeled something for them through the things we have done. 

For the people who do choose to do these things with your kids: that is entirely up to you.  Our family is not your family.  And you don’t have to hide the fact that you do.  Marty and I are accountable for our own decisions.

Hence, my kids grew up without Santa and the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny.  They don’t exist and I would be lying if I told them otherwise.  They crowd out the view of my Father and I believe they put Him to the test.  I don’t want their view of Him crowded out either.  My kids are not any worse for the wear.