Some scholars of popular religion describe Santa as a god of consumerist materialism whose sole purpose is to give. And indeed, many people think of God in this way, as a Santa Claus conveniently enlarged to divine proportions. God is an infinitely rich, always available, and unfailingly generous giver – or at least, that’s what we feel a god worthy of divinity ought to be…A Santa Claus God demands nothing from us…the difference between a Santa Claus God and a gift-giving God is this: a Santa Claus God gives simply so we can have and enjoy things; the true God gives so we can become joyful givers and not just self-absorbed receivers. God the giver has made us to be givers and obliges us therefore to give.

From Free of Charge by Miroslav Volf, p 27/28