Remember the Christmas song, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town? I heard it on the radio this week.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
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’re sleeping
He knows when you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
The idea that Santa knew when I was bad or good, that he saw me all the time was a little scary. But I knew from past experience that it really didn’t affect what I got for Christmas. Santa always came through.
Still, it was an upsetting thought. But it was not nearly as upsetting as when the pastor said that God saw everything we did. My reaction was always, “Oh no. Not that.” As my mind ran through all the things I didn’t want God or my parents to find out. The very thought that God kept his eye on me filled me with terror. He knew more about me than my parents or my best friends. That was scary.
But life brings change. I got married and had children and grandchildren. Looking at my own reaction to those I love helped me understand Jesus’ reaction to me.
I get a great deal of pleasure out of watching my children and grandchildren on their life journey. I love them. I want to be a part of their lives. I like knowing their life situations. I take pleasure in their achievements. I want to support them in their struggles. I want to pray for them in both. I want to share their lives because I love them. I have no desire to punish them. Their choices bring their own consequences, both bad and good.
The same is true of Barbara. I enjoy watching her. I get a lot of pleasure watching how she interacts with people, host people in our home and handles life. She is so oriented to people. She makes friends with waitresses and clerks and sometimes total strangers. I love watching her in those situations. Why? Because I love her.
I think that is the way Jesus is with me. He loves me. He wants to be involved in my life. He is not out to punish me. Because God became man in Jesus, he has empathy for me in whatever situation I am in.
He is watching so that he can help, encourage, support and be involved as much as I will let him. He wants to live in a love relationship with me. The relationship is dependent on him, not me. He offers, I respond.
At this stage of my life, the idea that he is watching is actually far more comforting than anything else. Whatever may come to me in life, Jesus is there involved in the situation. If I fail, he is there to pick me up and encourage me—not punish. It makes no difference if the failure is the fault of life circumstances or my bad choices. If I have a life victory he is there cheering me on.
Thank goodness Jesus knows what happened in my life yesterday. He also knows what will happen today and is helping prepare me for what will happen today and what will happen on future days.
Santa Claus’ knowledge of me was always connected to reward (presents) or punishment. It had nothing to do with relationship. It was a scorecard. Jesus doesn’t keep score. He is on our side when we succeed. He is on our side when we fail. He knows, but he loves us in spite of who we are or what we do. He is on our side.