Halloween

I took my little girls to Target today. It was a normal trip filled with the $1.25 drink and popcorn and lots of up and down isles looking for sale treasures. As we shopped, I found myself on the majorly discounted back to school isle which happened to be in the middle of all the Halloween stuff.

I will be VERY honest with you. From a very early age, I knew Halloween had nothing to do with my Jesus. I remember my parents going through all our candy to make sure there were no pins, needles, or poisoned candy. As for dressing up, my sister and I always choose happy things. However, as we walked from house to house, I sensed evil.

Time has not changed that for me. In fact now, I feel the evil stronger. So today in Target as little talking plastic witches were taunting my little girls by asking them to come closer and telling them that they could trust them, I was struck at how the industry embraces evil because all they want is our money. And not only that, the evil is pointed at my children not me. Talk about getting me all fired up!

I am newly convicted this year about Halloween. The Lord continues to bring to my attention Truths from the Word...
Deut 18:9-13
When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

David writes in the Psalms that he "will have nothing to do with evil". And in Ephesians we are commanded to "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, rather expose them." So what are we doing with this holiday? It is not a "Holy Day", in fact it is the opposite.

Friends, we are called to be salt and light for our King. We are called to walk in the light. We are called to be imitators of God all year round regardless of what anyone else is doing. We are called to be blameless before the Lord our God. Blameless means the bar is set high... not in the middle. I think we have to ask some hard questions, get the answers and then run the race marked our for us. We have been called and commanded to look different. I think Halloween offers a great instance in which we can radiate our Lord in a powerful way. So, let's shine the light in this season of darkness.