The Santa Clause

He's making a list, checking it twice, gonna find out who's naughty or nice, Santa Claus is coming to town. He sees you when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake, He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake. Oh you better watch out....."

After reaching adulthood and reading these lyrics does it seem encouraging to our young children or rather threatening? Or is it just a "kids song" and we act jolly and bright when we sing it? I think it's actually a pre-cursor to the Santa Clause. That's right, the planting of a seed when we are young that naughty is always punished and nice is always rewarded. It may be a kids song but is it real life?

The strangest thing I have seen God do in my own life is reward me even after I have done something "naughty", and it's happened several times and literally shocked me. It's also shocked me into being "nice" because of the way that reward showed me how much He loves me. My Mom was also like that.

Hebrews 11:6 - And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

What I learned is that in my faith walk I will screw up somewhere, but God looks at the overall picture of me and says that guy is following me, and that in that walk I am earnestly trying to seek him even when I go off the rails a bit. Not excuses, just examples like Peter and even Abraham who did some really knucklehead things on his way to becoming the father of all the nations. Read Romans 4:18-21 and tell me what you think. Did he lose either his faith or promise of gifts from God just because of bad decisions? Simple answer, no!

Bottom line, God certainly cares if we are naughty or nice, but he's not looking over our shoulders cancelling us out for our mistakes every day when he knows that our heart has turned to him. Though for many years through many kids and grandchildren I sang this song, I think I will replace it with the Jesus Clause:

Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so! (you know the rest)