“There is no Christmas without Santa Claus.” This I heard an 8-year-old girl say after a little boy told her he didn’t believe in Santa Claus. They went back and forth a bit, trying to reason with each other as only innocent 8 year olds could do. I was silent, pondering the conversation and seeing how easily she, even knowing that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth, could be drawn into the myth of Christmas.

Commercialism and make-believe merriment are all around us, especially at Christmas. As shocking as her words were I understand how society can place hope in a myth and de-emphasize Jesus being the hope of Christmas. Sometimes getting to truth is complex and we participate in the “harmless lie” about Santa and work hard to try to equate our gift giving with Jesus’ birth. But the girl’s comment spoke to a larger issue for me: how not knowing truth, whether we unknowingly believe a lie or choose to embrace one, has us living in a created reality that could leave us devastated.

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.—2 Timothy 2:11.

Though this passage speaks to end time prophecy, when the anti-Christ comes to deceive people into believing he’s God and those who believe him will go to hell, our results are a life of hell when we 1) believe in someone’s else’s power to have control over the affairs of our lives (like Santa Claus) and 2) look to them as our source.

Eight year olds who believe in Santa Claus may be innocent, but adults who get drawn into commercialism and make-believe merriment need to beware. These two can draw us into a created reality, one where we weren’t meant to live. If we say at a party “Where’s the liquor?” or “I have to have a glass of wine to wind down” or “My husband has to be 6’1’’or “I won’t survive without this (job), (deal), (man), etc.” we may not realize this, but when we believe these “harmless” phrases we deny Jesus as “…the way, the truth and the life…” When we believe lies, we believe the devil and ultimately believe he, not God, is our source, and he, “the father of lies,” wants to kill, steal and destroy us (John 8:44 and John 10:10).

All lies come from Satan. No lie is harmless. And even one lie works to ruin us, eventually.

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.–2 Timothy 2:24-26

Christmas and our lives can be magical without the lies. I hope you hear my heart right along with the harsh reality about the lies we believe.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith