Halloween is starting to get tricky at our house. 
With a middle school girl at home, the Disney princess costumes have lost their allure. What’s left to choose from is either scary or frankly, a bit more seductive than I prefer.
An hour long discourse ensued at the store as to what an “appropriate costume” looked like (sigh). In her innocence, she doesn’t understand.
In between the banter I began to ask myself,
“How old is too old to go trick or treating, anyway?”.
“As a Christian mom trying to teach my kids biblical principles, should I just boycott Halloween altogether?”
“Where is the balance between dressing up and having fun, yet teaching my kids to be discerning about evil?”
And right then and there, I made a resolution: I’m taking back Halloween. No, I’m not boycotting it. I’m reframing it. I’m using it as an opportunity to teach my kids that evil is real and we’re called to shine in the midst of it. We have a real enemy who loves the darkness. He hides in it, trying to convince everyone there’s nothing wrong with a “little fun”. In the shadows he seems pretty benign.
But he’s out to steal, kill and destroy. He is the author of death and destruction. So out we’ll go into the darkness. We’ll see things that are scary. We’ll see people who laugh at death and destruction. We’ll see children dressed as witches, devils and vampires, while my daughter is forced to wear her knee- length Native American costume. We’ll load up with candy and then we’ll have this conversation:
- God has given us a costume to wear- every day.
Colossians 3:12-14 MSG So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
2. We are not made for the darkness, but for light. We have been rescued from the darkness.
Philippians 2:15 MSG Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns.
3 Evil may be celebrating now, but God has already won.
Revelation 20:10 MSG The Devil who deceived them will be hurled into Lake Fire and Brimstone, joining the Beast and False Prophet, the three in torment around the clock for ages without end.
I could boycott Halloween. I could try and shelter my children from the sights and sounds of this annual holiday. Or I could take this opportunity and use if for good. I could remind them that we are not of this world. Our God has overcome the world and brought light into the darkness. Will we hide our light away or go out and shine in that darkness?
How do you celebrate Halloween with your family? Or do you not celebrate it at all?
Why have you chosen to take that course of action with your family?
