Southern Bread

A couple of years back, my husband and I decided against telling our kids Santa was real. Our kids are fine, no one cried, and no one has had a lame Christmas. And none of their friends have suddenly shunned Santa. They know to politely answer questions about Santa and presents and reindeer.

One of the reasons we choose this comes from a deep desire to be honest with our children. They know St. Nicholas was a nice man from long ago, but we don’t teach that he is immortal or all-knowing. It is a small attempt to have our kids view us credible in our word. Here’s why that’s important. When you strip away the “fun” side of Santa, you are left with a man who is omniscient, immortal, and able to judge good and evil. Now who does that remind you of?

In my view, Christmas, and therefore the gifts we exchange should be a symbol of sacrificial love for one another. We encourage our kids to buy gifts with their own money that they earn. They realize they won’t get that Lego set they wanted, but they are so excited about what they are giving. My daughter likes to tell her younger brother, “You are getting the best present in the world!” She is talking about the one she bought for him. And he will say the same back. They know that they will not get everything they imagine, because there is no inexhaustible magic sack that all too easily fulfills their whims.

But they know a little more about Christ’s love shown by sacrifice. They know that gifts are not dependent on artificial good deeds. I don’t want my children to be good because they can get something. That has nothing to do with truth or training the selfish heart of the child. Or even more, I don’t want some goodness standard interfering with God’s view of our works apart from Him, which are filthy rags. Goodness is not a matter of ceasing a behavior. It is Christ laying His righteousness on us. Being good for spiritual insurance is so pervasive in our culture already. I don’t want to accentuate “righteousness by works” during Christmas.

We want to give a clear view of Christ. That His gift is free to anyone who believes. His love is not based how good we are. What happens if they compare themselves with other kids who get more? “Is that kid a better person than I? What more can I do, so I can get?” I don’t want to build on that philosophy any more than is natural to human nature. Instead, I want Christ to be center, and Santa Claus, in my humble view, is a thorn that grows up and chokes the truth of Christ in the minds of our depraved little ones.

How can Christ be pondered if their minds are in constant re-visitation to the myth and superstition of Santa Claus? One common argument is “Oh, come on. It’s just for fun!” Let me assure you, there is no shortage of fun in my house around Christmas. But it is a more humbled fun. We can focus on being together and working together. Sacrifice resonates in our minds and conversations as we make gingerbread houses together and recall the gifts we are going to give. My hope is, in this small way, we are a little better aware of our position before God and our fellow laborers, our children.

–My Wife, Guest Blogging