via TJC
“If you, imperfect as your are, know how to lovingly take care of your children and give them what’s best, how much more ready is your Heavenly Father to give wonderful gifts to those who ask him?”
—Matthew 7:11 (TPT)
“He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake.” We all know this lyric, and you’re probably humming the rest of the song already. Or, if you’re channeling Buddy the Elf, you might “sing loud for all to hear.” And like Buddy, when we hear the name Santa Claus, we feel like we “know him.” But do we? What do we know, believe, or teach about him? These questions came up recently as my siblings and I discussed how to approach Santa with the next generation in our family.
Growing up, Santa was central to our Christmas traditions. We wrote him letters, visited him, and attended “Breakfast with Santa” events everywhere—from malls to churches. We saw Santas of different races and those who spoke multiple languages. Now, as the parental generation, we want to carry on the tradition. But something doesn’t sit right when we invite Santa to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Santa’s character is performance-based: Am I on the Naughty List or the Nice List? To ensure I’m good enough, he even “checks it twice.”
SPOILER ALERT (Ear Muffs!)
In many Christian homes, children meet Santa and God around the same time. By age 9 or 10, the “magic” of Santa fades. Whether through personal questioning (how does he make the deliveries in one night?) or outside influence (friends or older cousins), the myth unravels. And often, this “de-conversion” from Santa sets a precedent for their understanding of God.
As they grow older, doubts about faith arise—perhaps from unanswered questions or external pressures from peers and professors. What began with Santa’s conditional love (“be good, get gifts”) subtly teaches kids they don’t measure up. This can lead to a distorted view of God: If I’m not good enough, He won’t love me. For some, this doubt becomes disbelief: If He is Love, and He doesn’t love me, maybe He doesn’t exist. It was just another story meant to control me.
(Ear Muffs Off)
But that’s not who God is. God gave us Jesus and countless blessings because He is good, not because we are. His love isn’t tied to our behavior or worthiness.
In our family, we’ve decided gifts are given because the Giver is good. This approach is still experimental—our kids are all under 8—but our hope is that when they outgrow Santa, their understanding of God won’t falter. When they project their expectations of Santa onto God, they’ll see consistency: The Gift Giver is Good. Santa gives gifts not because you’re good, but because he is.
Battle Order:
Take your family’s favorite Santa-themed Christmas song and rewrite the lyrics to show Santa giving gifts because he is good, not because your performance is.
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