Gifts for the Naughty List

“Have you been a good little boy?”

“You better watch out, you better not cry.

You better not pout, I’m telling you why.

Santa Claus is coming to town

He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice.

Gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees you when you’re sleeping.

He knows when you’re awake.

He knows if you’ve been bad or good.

So be good for goodness sake.”

Every December children around the world who believe in Santa Claus are on their best behavior.  In one of the great parenting wins in history someone created a character that children loved yet approached with a measure of fear.  The benevolent Santa Claus is a jolly man on one condition: be good.

Good little boys and girls get presents under the tree and in their stockings. 

Boys and girls on the Naughty List get coal and no presents.

Kris Kringle, a.k.a Father Christmas, has helped parents raise good boys and girls for at least the period between Black Friday and Christmas morning for years.  Yet, should Christians utilize Santa as a behavior modification tool?

I say no.

Why should adults advent with the Gospel yet make their children advent as judiaizers?

Santa says earn it.  The Gospel says you couldn’t earn it and don’t have to.

Santa says be good and get a gift.  The Gospel says you get the best gift of all  time in spite of your actions.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
 “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God… not of works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

The Gospel is all about gifts for the Naughty List.  Does your Santa Claus tradition preach a different Gospel?  Is the Santa you have for your children an anti-christ?

Now, I’m not saying we should never teach our children through the use of rewards.  Rewards are also a big part of Scripture.  We are not to follow the philosophy of Immanuel Kant and pretend that the rewards of Heaven don’t matter and shouldn’t matter, but we should follow our Emmanuel who did speak of Heavenly rewards (Matthew 5:10-12).  We, as parents, should teach our children to behave well.  However, in a time so holy to Christians as Advent shouldn’t we spend more time teaching our children about the free gift of salvation? 

I’m also not advocating that Santa Claus have no part in your children’s Christmas tradition.  We don’t/won’t lie and teach our children that Santa Claus is a real person, but we will let them enjoy him the same way they enjoy Curious George and the Berenstain Bears.  What I’m asking you to do is to consider whether you want your children to advent soaked in a works based system or a system of loving grace.

It may be too late for this year to make these changes but Advent is here.  Spend time anticipating Christmas and all that is included in it.  In all your adventing honor Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Remember Christmas is about the Greatest Gift ever being giving specifically to those of us on the Naughty List.  Advent soaked in grace today.