Noel Piper|Thinking About Santa

    Pastor John Piper's wife, Noel Piper, writes why they chose not to include Santa Claus in their Christmas celebrations.

Noel Piper : Thinking About Santa

    Sometimes, we are really far too easily pleased with inferior things. Why be satisfied with having our children place their Christmas hopes on a fictional character? Some may argue that it's just a harmless fantasy. The reality is that it does more harm than good because Santa is a wrong picture of God and His nature. I would not risk having my kids grow up having a distorted knowledge of God.

    While we can't avoid Santa Claus - he's in schools, he's seen in the mall, he'll be on TV commercials, and he's sung in Christmas carols, we can engage with our children and point them to the infinitely more superior Person of Jesus Christ. "Joy to the world, the Lord Is Come" is a far better song than "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14)." Let this be our goal this Christmas - that instead of Santa, our children will have in their hearts true joy and delight in Jesus Christ who has come to bring the hope of salvation to mankind. As the hymn says,

Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name.