I love the fact that this salt lamp exemplifies who Jesus says we are in the world. This Himalayan salt lamp is a natural health item with so many benefits; negatively charged ions, clears toxins, mold and odors and purifies the air. It is salt and it is light. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
My family and I don’t celebrate Halloween. With that being said, it doesn’t stop the so-called ‘holiday’ from being exposed to us every year, especially our children.
Halloween is probably the most popular ‘holiday’ for children, because it’s positioned as fun and exciting for kids, synonymous with signature fall activities, slewed across every episode of children’s shows for weeks on end, from Curious George to Bubble Guppies, and of course, associated with endless amounts of free candy and treats. Children love to play dress up and act like their favorite characters, while having a unique annual conference of princesses, superheroes, celebrities and the like.
My two-year-old, who has never celebrated Halloween in his short life, managed to put the words together to tell me, “Mommy, I LOVE Halloween!” simply from the education about it he’s received from TV and visiting the local Target.
As the day approaches yet again, I found myself torn between completely ignoring Halloween, or giving my children a fun yet wholesome alternative to the night’s regular festivities. So I decided to search God’s Word for His advice.
I’m drawn to the scripture found in Matthew 5:13-16.
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
As a firm believer in Jesus, I personally cannot celebrate a day that glamorizes death and fear, because those things do not bring glory to God. I cannot innocently dress my kids up in cute costumes and go trick-or-treating because I know the history behind it makes it of no value to us. I cannot join the pagans and wiccans in celebrating their most ‘holy’ night of the year. At the same time, I feel that we should neither stand idly by.
Since this day usually attracts people to unknowingly glorify the devil, we should feel compelled to instead glorify God all the more on this day. We ought to remember to especially pray on this day for protection and to bind Satan’s power. Just because this day is the devil’s holiday, does not mean that we shouldn’t have our own fun. The bible says that this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24), because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). We thank God that he protects us from hurt, harm and danger, and most importantly from demonic attacks that run rampant on this day. It’s also important that we let our light shine in the world, and share the goodness of Jesus on this day, and tell people why we chose not to participate in Halloween. Share the truth about it’s history, and the truth about the Gospel, and about God’s love and mercy for the world.
Jesus said he is sending us into the world (John 17:18), so we shouldn’t run and hide just because there is evil all around us. We shall fear no evil. Yet we are called to be separated and not to conform to this world. (2 Corinthians 6:17, Romans 12:2)
In Genesis, Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, because the city was overcome with sin. God promised him if there was a certain number of righteous people in the land, he would not destroy the cities. We should pray that God withholds his wrath on the evil that is happening in our cities as well.
In Jesus’ days, the major use of salt was a preservative for food, especially meat. So we are called to preserve the communities that we live in. If we just practiced Halloween like every other person who is in the world, how are we acting as the salt of the world? We would not be using out preserving power. Jesus says in Luke 14:34-35, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out…”
I do not condemn or judge anyone or other Christians for celebrating this ‘holiday’, because most probably unaware of what the day represents, or just want to give their kids a happy childhood. I do believe we our sins are paid for in full, and that we are covered by God’s Grace. However, I do not endorse partaking in anything that involves the evil history of the Halloween, and do encourage Christians to learn the history, and make an informed decision about what everything we practice and teach our children. Though all is lawful, not all is beneficial.
This year, while others might be celebrating Halloween, my family will stay at home, praising God, praying for our community, studying the bible, baking goodies and making crafts. And should some precious children from the neighborhood knock on our door, we will hand out some biblical coloring pages, to educate them about what we believe, and to let our light shine before men.
I pray you all have a joyous day!
God bless you and may His grace abound to you!
See a brief history of Halloween (aka Samhain) here: youtube.com/watch?v=3-qhBq1bbOE
Fruits of the Spirit Coloring Pages: http://christianpreschoolprintables.com/fruit-of-the-spirit-printables/fruits-of-the-spirit-bible-coloring-pages/
daughter of Sarah 