God Is Nothing Like Santa

Well, today is my first official day back in the office for 2008.

Over the last few weeks I have been lucky enough to take some time off and spend it generally relaxing and doing very little. During this time a thought occured to me, I began thinking about how so many people see God as a Santa like figure.

As tradition goes, Santa is a jolly fat old man with a big white beard. Tradition also holds that Santa "... is making a list and checking it twice..." and is going to "...find out if you're naughty or nice." And it is based on this assessment of behaviour over the preceeding 12 months and your status on the 'Naughty' or 'Nice' lists that determines your suitability for presents at the coming Christmas delivery.

As I thought about this I realised that many people often view God as a Santa like figure. People see God as having a naughty and nice list that determines our rewards not only in eternity but also in this life.

People see God as the big bloke who brings you good stuff if you ask him and behave well enough to deserve what ever it is you're currently chasing after. But I'm not too sure that that is really the God that I know.

The God I know doesnt give out gifts based on worthiness, because if that were the case, we would all have nothing.

The God I know gives out gifts based on Love. God loves all of us, irrespective of whether we love, hate, or ignore Him, and because of this He has given us some of the greatest gifts anyone could ever offer. God has given us life, the first and possibly greatest gift we may ever receive. After that God gives us the gift of His Son Jesus. Through the gift of Jesus we receive further gifts of forgiveness and redemption. And from this point the gifts continue to grow and multiply. And the good news; the gifts of life, forgiveness and redemption are guaranteed to all of us, its just up to us to accept them!!

God has no list of naughty or nice, His love and gifts are not conditional on our listed status, and He actually forgets the 'naughty' stuff we do the moment we ask Him to.

So God is no Santa, but thats a good thing.

Who do you put your hope in; God or a fat jolly bloke with a long list??