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Behind it all, though, I really believe it takes glory away from the true meaning of Christmas: the coming of our Savior. You definitely don't have to agree with me about any of this, of course. :)
When I read this article by Kimm Crandall the other day, it pinpointed precisely why Santa bothers me so much. Why the "Elf on the Shelf" and "naughty and nice" lists go completely against the truth of the gospel, which Shawn and I want to impart to our kids every chance we get. And at Christmas, what better chance to teach your kids about the God who loved them so much He became man in the form of a helpless baby. That He died for them to reconcile them to Himself because they can't possibly be good enough. Ever. There's no better news to celebrate than that! Not Santa, not reindeer, not an elf on a shelf.
"It is finished" declared Jesus' annihilation of the naughty and nice list. It was with that cry that He pushed that elf off the shelf so that we could be free. My friends, rest in Him this season. Rest in His goodness and not your own. And please, give your children the greatest gift that they will ever receive: the grace that tells them that they have a Savior who loves them and has come to rescue them from the crushing news that they will never be good enough."
YES! I grew up loving the whole 'experience' of Christmas, but it was simply that. The things that stick with me today are the moments when I sung songs that really impacted me as an 'ah-ha' moment. Where Jesus said "This day truly rocks because I came" not about the presents, but Glory to God!
ReplyDelete(and because of growing up in a Santa home… i have a ton of santa decorations… i've phased out many -if not all- to just snowmen so i can have up decorations from dec-february. ha. the other big reason i have had a hard time with it is that telling your child that santa did something … is a lie.)
I grew up in a Christian home where Christ was the Reason for the season, but Santa was also allowed. I have fond memories of putting out cookies for Santa as a child. Now that I'm raising my own family, my husband and I have to talk through things like "Are we going to teach our kids about Santa"? After a year of deliberation we decided that we are not. There are many reasons to seriously look at our traditions- even those that stem from the church- and make wise decisions for our families. This Youtube video (The Unwrapping of Christmas) gave us a lot of information that we value in our holiday choice making:
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You should check it out, I find these types of documentaries fascinating (and relatively short)!
Always, each person/family must prayerfully make decisions as best for them. I admire the stand your family is taking because I know it is not the most popular way to go. Merry Christmas!
Yes, yes, yes! Thanks for the link!
ReplyDeleteWe have an elf, but our daughter asked for him and since we did not read the book or know anything but that people moved him around... Our elf is a nice guy. He reads bible stories and helps with Advent countdown. No tattling to Santa. If she hadn't seen him and liked his hat we would not had ever picked him up. But he has become a fun extension of our regular Christmas traditions. Tonight he left a note about baby Jesus in a manger and a new nativity story book for our kiddos. We kinda bent the trend to fit our style.
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thank you for this post, I know it can be very 'unpopular' , even in some Christian circles, so I appreciate your vulnerability. We share your opinion and it does my heart good knowing that other saints are making decision to raise Christ-followers no matter the costs.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of religious affliations, the whole thought of the elf on a shelf making kids behave perhaps better than you'd expect them to otherwise, at a time of year filled with excitement and stimulation, seems somewhat cruel to me. Cut those little people some slack - they are small and get all caught up in the excitement and, let's face it, insanity of the season. Right or wrong, that is what December has become, and you'd have to live in a remote village to avoid it, as much as you try. I think it is spooky, quite frankly, that a little elf shows up - you can't touch him, and he tells you to be extra extra good - or you'll get nothing on Christmas morning. It just seems mean. Why not enjoy the kids' excitement? They're little exactly once. Use that energy to talk about helping others, and the season of kindness and giving - of forgiveness and love. Of joy and family. Way to go, Jesus - I'm glad that elf got knocked off the shelf! OK, rant off - :-)
ReplyDeletePS - I hope that my comments weren't perceived as anti-Christian, because they're not meant to be. I just think it's mean to use the season (and an elf) as a way to make kids behave in order to get loot. Model good/kind behaviour all year long and you won't need an elf - or any other bribe.
ReplyDeleteMy parents never emphasized Santa when my brother and I were little - I always knew he wasn't real and it just wasn't a big deal in my mind. After hearing of friends who were genuinely upset to find out Santa wasn't real, I'm so thankful my parents did that for us. It took away just one more distraction from the true holiday. Great blog post! -Courtney
ReplyDeleteLOVE THIS! I grew up in a home where we never believed in Santa Clause. I never even remember him being talked about in our home. Christmas was about Christ, about love coming down to rescue us. That's it. Now that my husband and I are expecting our first child, we plan on the same thing: no Santa, no elf on the shelf.... just Jesus. (:
ReplyDeleteI love your post...Growing up we did do Santa and St. Nicholas (German tradition). So with our daughter we are not doing Santa for similar reasons like you listed as well as the ones made by Noel Piper in her Christmas book and Jen Hatmaker in a post a few years ago. BUT, we are incorporating St. Nicholas day because of the historical content and focus on generosity. It's Dec. 6th and our daughter will know St. Nick didn't fill her stocking but it's one way to bring in the history:) Merry Christmas!
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