Santa Revisited

A reader, "K," had an interesting comment on my last post that I thought deserved a longer reply. She told a story about her daughter feeling left out of the Santa hoopla at school and worrying about her daughter being too different from the other kids.

As for Santa, we haven't really dealt with the "realness" question. We've just told the boys that some people think that Christmas is a time to celebrate Santa Claus, but we celebrate Jesus. Then though, they ask why some people don't celebrate Jesus and that gets into what I wrote above...mostly I say it is because they don't know about Jesus. Thankfully, they are too young for school (and I'm not sure what we're going to do for school anyway) and so we haven't run into dealing with what other people teach them/what they hear about Santa.
I thought a lot about K's comment about not wanting her kids to be the freaks in the neighborhood or school and my immediate thought was, "Oh!...me neither...I hadn't thought about that problem...what can I do to keep that from being the case?" However, as I thought about it more, I realized that I am trying to avoid the unavoidable. If my kids are passionate about Christ and His kingdom, they will be "freaks" in the world and sometimes even in the church.

John 15:18-19 "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

Even as they are little, I should not shy away from letting them experience the rejections and hurts that will come from being different because they are trying to honor Christ. Scripture is replete with encouragements to realize that we are (as the body of Christ) different and that difference is both God-honoring and world-repelling. Is getting made fun of for not doing what everyone else does or feeling left out for the same reason really suffering for Christ? Well, not in the same way as the martyrs of yesteryear suffered, but for a child, I would argue yes! It is often in the little things that it is easiest to conform to the world because it is so subtly enticing. It is hard to go against the crowd and this is a way for a child to suffer for Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:15-16 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.

So, all that to say, K, that I really encourage you (and encourage me and anyone else reading) to not be afraid to let your kids be "Jesus freaks." :) (Who knew that I could throw in bad Newsboys lyrics so easily?) Letting your kids suffer for the sake of the Gospel....A lot easier said than done, but very meaningful, very real, very true.

Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.
1 Peter 4:14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.