WHAT KIDS REALLY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS

When adults go Christmas shopping for the kids and youth in their lives, what do they have on their gift lists? DVD’s of a couple recent smash movies? An iPod? A computer game or two? Maybe a gift certificate to a tattoo parlor? More toys, preferably high-tech?

You might be surprised to learn that what most kids and youth really want is more time with their parents and more spiritual meaning in their lives. That’s what sociologist Christian Smith says in his recent book “Soul Searching.” Based upon extensive interviews with hundreds of youth of all ages and stages from across the nation, the book is full of surprises for the parents and grandparents of America’s current generation of youth and children.

Here are a couple of these surprises that are relevant to the Christmas story.

Far from being religion-bashing iconoclasts (as the media often paints them), today’s young people generally have a deep interest in the beliefs of their parents and grandparents. What puzzles them about the faith of their forebears is why their parents and grandparents haven’t taught them about it. As one young person I talked to stated it, “My parents spend a lot of time at church, but we’ve never actually had a conversation about why it’s so important.”

Hmmmmm.

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus, it’s a great opportunity to have some meaningful interaction about Who Jesus is, why He came, and what it means to us. Families will be gathering, and there will plenty of intergenerational situations. We need to redeem the time and ask some conversation-starter questions. Gently raise the topic with your children and grandchildren.

One thing my family has always done on Christmas morning is read the Christmas story. You’ll find it in the following passages: Matthew 1:18-25 gives a brief overview of Jesus' birth; Luke 1:26-38 describes how Mary became the mother of Jesus; Luke 2:1-20 tells how Jesus was born; and John 1:1-14 explains why He was born.

If you don’t have time to read all these passages, choose the first 14 verses of Luke 2. Then ask the children what they think it means for them. Then listen!

The second surprise is this: if today’s kids aren’t taught their parents’ and grandparents’ faith, they will come up with their own version of a religious worldview. They are not secular people. They want a faith-driven way of living. If we don’t teach them our faith, they’ll find one from somewhere else. And we may not like what they find.

Christmas therefore reminds us that what our children and grandchildren really want is meaningful relationships with us and a living faith in the Savior we claim to believe in. To be sure they receive this from us, we have to be intentional about spending time with them, on their terms, to share Jesus with them!

Tell the truth to your children this weekend. Give them Jesus for Christmas.