Is it wrong for a Christian to have or make Dreamcatchers?
Dreamcatchers have become a common part of popular culture, however they were originally created by and for Native American groups.
Quoting from the (American) Native American culture website, powwow.com: “A dream catcher is a handmade willow hoop woven to a web or literally, a net. They can include feathers and beads, and they’re traditionally suspended on cradles as a form of armor and protection. It is believed that dream catchers originated with Asibaikaashi, who was known as the Spider Woman. She was a custodian of all of the Ojibwe infants and adults. …Ojibwe women started weaving magical webs for the infants…as a medium of protection. These charms hung above the children’s beds to catch any bad dreams or other harm that might be present. …the web absorbs bad dreams at night and discharges them during the day. The feathers, on the other hand, act like ladders allowing good dreams to descend on the infant or adult who is sleeping.”
Believing in things like good luck charms goes as far back as ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece. Today you might hear of people carrying crystals, statues, rabbit’s feet, four leaf clovers or wearing “evil eye” jewelry. None of these things has the power to bring luck or offer protection from evil. They are just lifeless objects!
In 2 Corinthians 5:20, the Apostle Paul describes a Christian as being an ambassador for Christ. An ambassador is someone who represents his country in a foreign land. As Christians, we represent Jesus. People watch what we say and do. We wouldn’t want them to associate good luck charms with our faith. We don’t want these superstitious customs associated with following Jesus. Putting our faith in these items distracts us from our Christianity. We should leave these sorts of things behind because we want to put our faith in God’s wisdom rather than ordinary, powerless objects.
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Doing all to the glory of God should be our standard of what we do, say and think, and even what we wear, carry with us, or what decorates our homes.”
1 Corinthians 10:31: (NASB)
Instead of making, possessing or wearing charms for protection or luck, we should be symbolically wearing the armor of God, as described in Ephesians 6:14-18: (GNT) “So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace. At all times carry faith as a shield; …And accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the spirit gives you.”
Through the holy spirit – God’s invisible power and influence – faithful Christians study the Bible, pray, and are blessed with wisdom from God, not luck. They have what He has allowed in their lives. They want to accept whatever His will is for them. When we have God’s protection, we do not rely on so-called “magical” objects. Our Christian faith is not about objects; it is about our dedication, loyalty, and living righteously, humbly and faithfully accepting God’s overruling in our lives.
Good luck charms and superstitious “protection” devices like a dreamcatcher do not have power, but God and Jesus do. The faithful Christian’s protection comes from above – not from superstitious objects like dreamcatchers. To claim such things as decoration or just for fun would be inappropriate for the Christian.
To learn more about luck and charms watch our video, “Do Good Luck Charms Have Power?”
Or listen to the podcast, “Ghosts, Reincarnation and Humanity – What’s Real? (Part II)”
