Christians and Santa Claus: A Biblical Approach for Parents This Christmas

Christians and Santa– do the two mix? Here are 5 truths for parents to consider as we celebrate this special holiday.

It’s the beginning of November and my children are already happily chatting about our Christmas tree (that I assured them wouldn’t be going up until after Thanksgiving!) There’s obviously something special about this time of year.

Family gatherings with delicious food and laughter around the dinner table, Christmas carols about the birth of our Savior, fresh cut pine trees, frosted sugar cookies, kind strangers, sled riding, and jolly snowmen crafted with care.

Each of these helps to somehow ease the gloominess and cold of the winter season. And each of these has a way of bringing a smile to our faces.

So where exactly does Santa fit into all of this? And does he even belong in the picture at all? Before you get caught up in the hustle and bustle and commercialism of the Christmas season I’d like to ask you to consider the five truths below.

This page/post may contain affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. This is true of any other affiliate links within this post.

Christians and Santa Claus- 5 Truths to Consider

So do well meaning Christians and Santa mix? As parents we desire the best for our children. We can’t help but want to see them happy. The idea of Santa brings a level of mystery and excitement, but could it be possible that our traditions have clouded our view of what matters most?

Christians and Santa Truth #1- We Must Teach Our Children to Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude

Gratitude is not a characteristic that develops naturally. It must be instilled. God has entrusted us with the care of our children’s hearts and minds. We must be faithful to love, teach, guide, correct, discipline, and lead them by example.

We are living in a culture that encourages us to please ourselves to our heart’s content, yet we’re never truly satisfied. Without ever realizing it many of us, as parents, are teaching our children to cultivate a heart full of themselves and their wants. We are molding hearts devoid of joy.

We can’t help but delight to give gifts to our children! It is a wonderful blessing to be able to do so. However, indulging our children with an overabundance of things while inadvertently teaching them to value those things above people and their Creator will not bring about a grateful heart. A wish list doesn’t produce contentment.

Allowing our children to believe that these gifts magically appear from someone who can never be thanked can lead to feelings of entitlement for such impressionable young minds, not genuine appreciation.

Friend, let’s be intentional in guarding our children’s hearts. Let’s teach them what it means to be grateful and where true value lies.

Christians and Santa Truth #2- Stifling the Truth Does More Harm Than Good

Have you ever thought of the child who wakes up on Christmas morning to no presents? The one whose family is struggling financially or the one who comes from a difficult family environment? Do you realize that on the very day that your family enjoys a multitude of gifts and laughter there are children across the globe asking Google why Santa didn’t stop at their house?

Do you realize that when we tell children about Santa Claus millions of boys and girls who are already hurting will feel even more confused and dejected when they see and hear of the shiny new toys of their classmates while they received nothing?

And what about the children who do receive gifts from Santa… what happens when they discover the truth? Will they be tempted to believe that this Jesus we’ve been telling them about is make-believe as well?

Friends, please understand my heart in this. My desire is certainly not to make anyone feel guilty, but instead to open our eyes. We are lying to our children and leading them astray, instead of shepherding their hearts. They deserve better.

Christians and Santa Truth #3- We Can Share the True Story of Saint Nicholas

Not much is known about Saint Nicholas of Myra (present day Turkey), but we can certainly share with our children what we do know. Obviously, his kindness and generosity was the inspiration behind our modern day Santa Claus.

Nicholas was the son of wealthy parents who passed away while he was young leaving him a sizeable inheritance. Instead of using the money to benefit himself, he gave it all away.

The most well-known of these accounts is when he crossed paths with a father in financial straits. The man was unable to pay a dowry for his three daughters which meant a life of singleness, prostitution, or slavery for the young girls.

In an act of compassion Nicholas threw bags of gold through the family’s window to provide enough money for the dowries, thereby saving them from a life of pain and despair. He is also known for providing food for the poor and standing up for those wrongly accused.

Saint Nicholas was a follower of Christ and prominent Christian leader in the early 300’s. Under the rule of Roman emperor Diocletian he endured 5 years of persecution, torture, and imprisonment for his faith before being released by Constantine.

Nicholas was just a normal man with a heart firmly fixed on his Savior. His generosity was the result of a sincere love for Jesus and he stopped at nothing to share the hope of the gospel with those around him.

His story is absolutely worthy of sharing, but I am convinced that he would never desire for it to be turned into what it has become- the exaltation of a fictional character that draws people away from Christ. Portraying him as Santa Claus is a dishonor to him as well as to our gracious God whom he so faithfully served.

Let’s love, serve, give, and share hope like this kind saint who was simply following in the steps of his Savior.

Related: HOW DID THE WISE MEN KNOW TO FOLLOW THE STAR?

CHRISTIAN GIFTS FOR KIDS: 26 THOUGHTFUL IDEAS FOR ALL AGES

Christians and Santa Truth #4- Our Enemy is Subtle

In the busyness of life many of us (even well-meaning Christians) forget that we have an enemy who will do everything in his power to blind us to our desperate need for a Savior. Satan doesn’t tempt us with warning flags and caution tape. Instead he subtly weaves truth in with the lies, the good in with the bad, so that falling prey to his ploys doesn’t feel so wrong.

We think that we’re doing our children a favor when we introduce them to Santa and the Easter Bunny, but the reality is that we’re pointing them directly away from the true Giver of every blessing they will ever experience in this life.

Steering the focus away from Jesus as we celebrate the days of His birth and resurrection will never encourage our children to whole-heartedly pursue Christ, and can very likely discourage them from ever genuinely pursuing Him at all.

Christians and Santa Truth #5- Every Substitute Will Always Pale in Comparison to the True Story

Perhaps our greatest reason for telling children about Santa Claus is because we want to give them something to hope in. Inviting our children into a magical world of wonder doesn’t seem so bad as we try to shield them from the harsh realities of the world we’re living in.

I don’t care how old you are- we’re all drawn to fairy tales in some regard. Kindness, chivalry, brave heroes and valiant knights, the breathtaking countryside, a beautiful princess and her prince charming… There is something about the courage, purity, and innocence that draws us in.

Children instinctively know that there has to be more to life than this world has to offer and are quick to latch on to anything that offers such promise… and although our hearts may harden over time, deep down we’re all longing for something more.

Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we’re drawn to such ideas and qualities because we were specifically created this way?

Have you ever wondered if the story of Santa is simply a counterfeit of the most beautiful true story that ever existed? What if instead of encouraging our children to believe a false reality we simply told them the truth?

What if we told them the true story of a kind and merciful King whose heart was filled with love for His people even though they continually rebelled against His gracious hand? What if we told them about this King’s Son, a humble Prince with a servant’s heart, who lovingly stepped down from His glorious kingdom to live among these people and offer them hope?

Friend, what if we removed Santa from the equation altogether and began pointing our children to Jesus this Christmas?

Keeping Christ in Christmas

What if we began telling our children how Jesus willingly came to earth in the form of an innocent baby for the sole purpose of growing up to offer us a precious gift of grace? What if we told them how our sin separates us from a holy and righteous God… and how Jesus came to rescue and redeem sinful people when He died on the cross in our place? That if we seek His forgiveness, turn away from our sin, and trust in the finished work of the cross we can rest assured of an eternity spent in His presence?

An Eternal Perspective

Friend, we were never created for a world full of sadness and corruption, but one of beauty and perfection…

A place where streets are made of gold, walls of jewels, and gates of pearls.

A place of purity, friendships, laughter, joy, and peace.

A place bustling with rejoicing people from every tribe and nation of the earth.

A place of gentle animals, delightful food, heavenly music, and colors and sounds of nature that are more vibrant and beautiful than anything our senses have ever experienced.

What if we told our children that we were made for a place where we can run straight into the loving arms of Jesus and never hurt again? That at this very moment God is preparing a place for those who love Him that is so exceptionally glorious that our minds cannot even fathom such beauty and wonder?

Is this any better than waking up to a few toys from a fictional character one day each year?  

What if we told our children that Christmastime is a time for us to share this good news with our friends and all the world around us?

Our children need to hear the truth and it is our privilege to give it to them. Let’s love our children well and point them to Jesus this Christmas.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6