child who is over six years of age. That being true, a child has difficulty accepting the unlikely story that rein deer can fly through the sky, that Santa can get into locked houses, that Santa can go to millions of homes in one night, that one Santa can provide gifts for children all over the world, and that Santa, like God, can tell what you are thinking, what you want, and what your behavior has been! We do not gain our children’s con fidence by telling them extravagant falsehoods. We do gain their con fidence, in part, by being honest, pos itive and realistic with them. Christmas is the season when we celebrate the birthday of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. It is one of the happiest and most significant times of the year! It is evident that Satan would distract us from honoring Christ at Christmas. It seems to me that our Christian homes should increase their efforts to promote a sacred Christmas season. Like many other parents, I can see no great harm in presenting Santa Claus as a make-believe person who represents the spirit of happiness and kindliness. In this way parents can be honest with their children. In this way boys and girls will not be con fused by placing their confidence in something which they suspect as being illogical; and on the testimony of thousands of youngsters who are now grown up, Christmas will be a much happier and more satisfying time for our little folk. DREAMING OF MARRIAGE Q. I am a young lady and there is one thing which l would like you to discuss. / have been dreaming for some of the day l would be married and have children. I even dream about the type of life my husband and I will live.
SANTA CLAUS Q. Do you believe Christians should, teach their children that there is a Santa Claus? A. This problem is not limited to Christians. It is a question in which many parents are interested. In recent years I have been im pressed with the large number of people who are concerned whether they should teach their children that Santa Claus is a real person. I suppose that the more we know about boys and girls and how our teaching affects them, the more we can be expected to carefully examine our practices. Thousands of adults claim that their childhood was much happier because they did not believe in San ta Claus. They say that the Christ mas season is a more joyous time for boys and girls who are not taught to believe in a fantastic lie. No doubt there are many things to be happy about other than an implicit faith in Santa. Parents often use the Santa Claus story as a threat to misbehavior. They say: “ If you aren’t nice, then Santa won’t bring you anything.” In other words, adults are using it as a disci plinary measure. I believe that nearly all thoughtful people will admit that such discipline is very poor at its best. It not only brings poor results at Christmas time, but it constitutes a very flimsy foundation for discipline in the future. Children who are very bright find it difficult to believe wholeheartedly in Santa Claus. For example, a child who is four years and ten months old, and who has an intelligence quotient of 129 (that’s bright, but surely not extremely bright) has a mental age of six years and three months. In oth er words, such a child is able to com prehend and think much like the
I can’t seem to stop thinking of it. ! fall asleep at night with the thought and awaken with it. Yet, l don’t want to be married to just anyone. It has been said that letting your mind dwell on things and not about God are “ idle thoughts” and a sin. Do you think my dreaming about marriage is a sin? I would like your counsel about this as it does trouble me. A . The feelings which you are now experiencing are common to nearly all young people, especially young ladies. In this respect, you are no different from anyone else. However, according to your letter, the differ ence between you and other young women is that evidently this problem is more severe with you. Excessive daydreaming (and night dreaming) is usually a reflection of unresolved conflicts. It is altogether possible that your continuous dream ing about marriage is partly due to the fact that you are insecure and lonely. You may feel that there is no one who truly loves you — including your own parents. As a result, you are attempting to meet this need in fancy. May I sug gest two approaches to this problem? First, have several good long talks with a confidential friend about your feelings and the causes for these feel ings. Second, continue to lean more heavily upon Christ. You can do this through daily reading God’s Word and asking Him to fill your life with His radiance and joy. Remember His words in Philippians 4:6 and 7, “ Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known- unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understand ing, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
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THE KING’S BUSINESS
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