I Believe

If you could ask Santa just one question, what would it be?

My four year old daughter only wanted to know this:  "When were you a baby?"

You see, when she thinks about Christmas, she thinks about Jesus.  She knows the story of his birth found in Luke 2.  God loves her so much that he sent his son into the world as a baby, to grow up and experience life like us, to be tempted and tried and ultimately to suffer and die for us.  A tiny baby.  Who grew up to be a king.  And a servant.  And the greatest hero that ever lived.

Now, tell me again, what did Santa do?  Well, he's fat and jolly and he travels around the world in a magic sleigh on Christmas Eve to give good boys and girls their gifts.

Better hope you're not on the naughty list!

In the weeks prior to Christmas, children across the country exhibit only their best behavior.  Why?  Because Santa sees you when you're sleeping and knows when you're awake.  Guess what?  So does Jesus.  But thank God I don't have to worry about being on the naughty/nice list.   

How good do you have to be?  Ninety-five percent good?  Eighty?  Just fifty-one percent?  No one really knows.  We all go to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads, dreaming (praying) that we won't wake up with a bag of coal in our stockings.

Now, there's some creepy imagery.  When I think about coal, I think hot..., pit..., fire...and dare I say it, H-E-Double- Hockey- Sticks?  Yikes.

I love Christmas.  I love sharing Santa with my kids, but I never want them to confuse Santa with Jesus.

Santa knows about me.  But Jesus knows me.

Santa lives far, far away.  Jesus lives in me.

I can write letters to Santa, but I can talk to Jesus.  God responds to my inquiries through the book he wrote just for me.  Best of all, I can read it anytime I want.

Santa's gifts collect dust, clutter shelves, and crowd toy boxes.  Jesus gave me the most amazing gift I've ever received.  Not only did he give me life, he saved my life.

This holiday, when you say, "I believe", what are you proclaiming?  Faith in an old, fat guy who flies through the sky and delivers presents to the whole world by climbing down the chimneys of sleeping children?

Eventually, my young daughter will suspect that something is amiss here.  I will not hesitate to tell her the truth.  Right now, we're having fun pretending that Santa and his band of tiny elves visit us on Christmas Eve, but not without talking about Jesus' starring role in the whole affair.  

Now, who do you want to honor on Christmas day?

Remember, Christmas began with the birth of the baby.  James 1:17 says, "Every good and perfect is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.  He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."    This year, when you sit on Santa's lap, remember you've already received the perfect gift.