I Absolutely Hate Halloween
I know I shouldn’t use the word hate. Maybe I should use the more politically correct word and say despise.
I remember the days before my parents found out that Halloween was an evil holiday. They would dress me up as a princess and I would go out in our little Indianapolis suburban neighborhood with them. I remember being terrified the whole night. Some houses we’d stop at had grown-ups dressed as scary mummies or witches. I literally wanted to hide my face from all the figures I had to walk by....all those older kids dressed up as scary monsters.
I also remember going to a Halloween party hosted by a close neighbor. Afterwards I came down with chicken pox. And for some reason, for years after that, I thought chicken pox came from Halloween parties.
There was the time I was four and was taken to a haunted house. Again, terrified at the witch that came around those waiting to get in. The clammy arms that reached out to touch me in the darkness. The rooms filled with the scariest faces and sudden appearances. No wonder I had to deal with so much fear growing up!
I remember the days before my parents found out that Halloween was an evil holiday. They would dress me up as a princess and I would go out in our little Indianapolis suburban neighborhood with them. I remember being terrified the whole night. Some houses we’d stop at had grown-ups dressed as scary mummies or witches. I literally wanted to hide my face from all the figures I had to walk by....all those older kids dressed up as scary monsters.
I also remember going to a Halloween party hosted by a close neighbor. Afterwards I came down with chicken pox. And for some reason, for years after that, I thought chicken pox came from Halloween parties.
There was the time I was four and was taken to a haunted house. Again, terrified at the witch that came around those waiting to get in. The clammy arms that reached out to touch me in the darkness. The rooms filled with the scariest faces and sudden appearances. No wonder I had to deal with so much fear growing up!
I never liked these evil, scary events. Even as a young girl, I was sensitive to the spiritual realm and dealt with so much fear because I felt stuff. And this was BEFORE my parents came to be Christ followers. Little did I know that spiritual warfare would actually come even more intensely when they began to follow Christ and leave their old past and ways behind them.
I never minded not celebrating Halloween after that. I kinda liked that our family would turn out the lights and go out back and sing praise songs together with others by a fire. I didn’t have to look at scary faces or go around being frightened. It felt good to be in Jesus presence and enjoy songs of His hope and love. I always loved worship and found it comforting.
When my husband and I had children, we didn’t do Halloween. Instead, we’d all go out somewhere special to eat as a family. Even though all my kids friends would go and invite our kids, they never begged to go trick or treating. It’s great to teach our kids truth from the start. It makes sense to them. You do have to explain the truth on things to them. When you do, they see life in a good way. Their foundation of truth sets them up for wholesome living. If you blur that line, they won’t know what is right or wrong. Some things are just 100% wrong. There’s no play or give to it. God is so absolutely pure. His presence is real and He is all about being truth. He lives truth. He is Truth. Thankfully so, and we can trust His nature to guide our decisions in this life in wholesome ways. Demons, scary monsters, zombies, fearful creatures of all kinds do not belong to the nature of our God. These things are from the realm of darkness and every evil imagination we are told to cast down and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, we are to tear down.
I cringe to see children of God letting their children dress up as anything on a day like Halloween, remembering my own childhood and how tender I was at such a young age. My parents had no idea they were instilling more fear into my heart by taking me around the neighborhood. They considered it a fun tradition. It was also the same for Christmas when I was told that Santa was real. I truly believed it and would wait up all night long peering from my bedroom window for him to come into the house and leave presents. Imagine the good nights rest I got when my parents shared the truth with me. My life had much more peace stabilized with truth. If we can’t give our children a foundation of some sort of absolute truth, they won’t understand their boundaries and their inner character will reach for things they shouldn’t as they grow older. We must as parents, start them off from the beginning, letting them see our very own stand with God.....much like Elijah did when he stood with God against the prophets of Baal. (And yes, my parents taught me about Elijah too).
These aren’t times to go soft in our stand for God. You don’t have to look like a weirdo either. You don’t have to be someone who goes haywire and gushes hate at this holiday. As much as I hate this thing that Americans call “Halloween”, I will not hate anyone who does. But I do want to encourage all who love Christ to stay in the camp with Him. Don’t be swayed by that emotional feeling that your kids will miss out on something. It’s just candy for Pete’s sake. It’s not like there’s a shortage, and only on October 31st do kids get their yearly ration. It’s everywhere.
But again, we have to stand somewhere. Let’s stand with God in something that is truly a holiday of demonic intentions. It is opposed to God’s pure and holy and precious nature. And let’s lead our children by our stand with Him in His holy Presence.
“Therefore, as we have so vast a crowd of spectators in the grandstands, let us throw off every impediment (imp) and the sin that easily entangles our feet, and run (impediment free) with endurance the race for which we are entered, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the perfect leader and example of faith, who, instead of the joy which lay before Him, endured the cross with no regard for its shame, and since has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Yes, to keep from growing weary and fainthearted, just think of the examples set by Him who has endured so great opposition aimed at Him by sinful men! You have not yet, as you have struggled on against sin, resisted to the point of pouring out your blood, and you have forgotten the encouragement which is addressed to you as sons...” Hebrews 12:1-5 Let’s throw off those imps...a small, mischievous devil or sprite. synonyms: hobgoblin, goblin, elf, sprite, pixie, brownie, fairy, puck; demon, litte devil;
“This is why the Son of God appeared, to undo the devil’s works.” 1 John 3:8b
I never minded not celebrating Halloween after that. I kinda liked that our family would turn out the lights and go out back and sing praise songs together with others by a fire. I didn’t have to look at scary faces or go around being frightened. It felt good to be in Jesus presence and enjoy songs of His hope and love. I always loved worship and found it comforting.
When my husband and I had children, we didn’t do Halloween. Instead, we’d all go out somewhere special to eat as a family. Even though all my kids friends would go and invite our kids, they never begged to go trick or treating. It’s great to teach our kids truth from the start. It makes sense to them. You do have to explain the truth on things to them. When you do, they see life in a good way. Their foundation of truth sets them up for wholesome living. If you blur that line, they won’t know what is right or wrong. Some things are just 100% wrong. There’s no play or give to it. God is so absolutely pure. His presence is real and He is all about being truth. He lives truth. He is Truth. Thankfully so, and we can trust His nature to guide our decisions in this life in wholesome ways. Demons, scary monsters, zombies, fearful creatures of all kinds do not belong to the nature of our God. These things are from the realm of darkness and every evil imagination we are told to cast down and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, we are to tear down.
I cringe to see children of God letting their children dress up as anything on a day like Halloween, remembering my own childhood and how tender I was at such a young age. My parents had no idea they were instilling more fear into my heart by taking me around the neighborhood. They considered it a fun tradition. It was also the same for Christmas when I was told that Santa was real. I truly believed it and would wait up all night long peering from my bedroom window for him to come into the house and leave presents. Imagine the good nights rest I got when my parents shared the truth with me. My life had much more peace stabilized with truth. If we can’t give our children a foundation of some sort of absolute truth, they won’t understand their boundaries and their inner character will reach for things they shouldn’t as they grow older. We must as parents, start them off from the beginning, letting them see our very own stand with God.....much like Elijah did when he stood with God against the prophets of Baal. (And yes, my parents taught me about Elijah too).
These aren’t times to go soft in our stand for God. You don’t have to look like a weirdo either. You don’t have to be someone who goes haywire and gushes hate at this holiday. As much as I hate this thing that Americans call “Halloween”, I will not hate anyone who does. But I do want to encourage all who love Christ to stay in the camp with Him. Don’t be swayed by that emotional feeling that your kids will miss out on something. It’s just candy for Pete’s sake. It’s not like there’s a shortage, and only on October 31st do kids get their yearly ration. It’s everywhere.
But again, we have to stand somewhere. Let’s stand with God in something that is truly a holiday of demonic intentions. It is opposed to God’s pure and holy and precious nature. And let’s lead our children by our stand with Him in His holy Presence.
“Therefore, as we have so vast a crowd of spectators in the grandstands, let us throw off every impediment (imp) and the sin that easily entangles our feet, and run (impediment free) with endurance the race for which we are entered, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the perfect leader and example of faith, who, instead of the joy which lay before Him, endured the cross with no regard for its shame, and since has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Yes, to keep from growing weary and fainthearted, just think of the examples set by Him who has endured so great opposition aimed at Him by sinful men! You have not yet, as you have struggled on against sin, resisted to the point of pouring out your blood, and you have forgotten the encouragement which is addressed to you as sons...” Hebrews 12:1-5 Let’s throw off those imps...a small, mischievous devil or sprite. synonyms: hobgoblin, goblin, elf, sprite, pixie, brownie, fairy, puck; demon, litte devil;
“This is why the Son of God appeared, to undo the devil’s works.” 1 John 3:8b
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