I am a little too old and lot too cynical to be swept away by the latest fad in Christendom. I have sat on the sidelines while Jabez prayed, millions were purpose driven and others found their best life. I guess I was just left behind. Others were incredibly excited by one or all of these phenomenons.

So I was more than a little surprised to find that God has rocked my world through a ministry I knew little about just a few months ago. Their books and materials have not become an entire section at your local Christian superstore. And that is a shame. Because they have a message that needs to be heard by most of us.

The organization is called Leadership Catalyst and they have an incredible book called TrueFaced. I don’t think I have ever had a book (not included in the original 66) impact me as much as this one. Here is how strongly I feel about this book and ministry. I have written two books. I have a son who attends Baylor University and I can tell you the good Baptists at Baylor are very proud of their education. So selling a few books would be awesome as spring semester tution looms. But if you only have the budget to buy one book in the near future I would tell you to buy TrueFaced. (That gives you a hint as to why I rarely am asked to do marketing seminars).

I am borrowing one little bit of content that is very timely during this month. John Lynch is one of the authors of the book and in this section he addresses how we are programmed from childhood to default to performance theology. He calls it the “Santa Claus is Coming to Town theology.”

You better watch out
Better not cry
Better not pout
I am telling you why
Santa Claus is comin’ to town
He's making a list…checking it twice…three times…every day
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is comin’ to town
He sees you when your sleeping, nows when your awake, he knows when you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake.

Oh, he's watching. Waiting for you to screw up so you will get coal instead of a bicycle. You had better please him. And we teach our kids to put on the mask and be something they are not. Because Santa Claus is comin’ to town. This omniscient being who is judging our every deed is coming to town…and we learn to do the dance early. Buck up…be good. Don't cry. Don't pout. Santa Claus is coming to town (© Copyright 2003, William Thrall, Bruce McNicol, John Lynch. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited).

He is exactly right. We learn that we get good things and receive love only when we are good. Santa is pleased (and we later substitute God) when we obey. So we learn early. We had better be good. Or least fool everyone around us to think that we are being good.