A Faith beyond Veggie Tales and a Cross Necklace

Just like most people my age, I grew up watching Veggie Tales. When I was younger, I knew the story of Esther best if it included that dog song, (And if you are my age, or have a child my age you know exactly which song I’m talking about, and you are probably singing it.)

I knew the story of Jonah; complete with angels in the belly of the whale (who sang Newsboys…) I learned about greed and contentment via Madam Bluberry and I was surprised to learn that in the Bible, no slushies were mentioned in the battle of Jericho. It’s probably warped my mind how many times I’ve sang the Cheese Burger song, and how well I know the lyrics to “Barbra Manatee” 

(“You’re the one for meeeeeeee sent from up abbboooveeee…” Apparently my dignity when on a walk, because it's officially gone.) 

I learned my Bible stories through those movies… It was amazing. (And I still love Veggie Tales just for the record.) 

I have a cross shaped necklace. Actually I have two. (A black one that one of my awesome little brothers gave me and a pretty dainty one that my Grandma gave me.) And I wear them both often.

Now that you know that, I must be a Christian, right? I mean, I just stated that I know the Bible and that I show my faith, what more do you need?

But how often do we allow our faith needs to be just that rudimentary knowledge of the Bible that we ingested via a children’s television show and say, “I’m showing my faith by wearing a tee shirt from a well known Christian band and I’m rocking my cross shaped necklace, thus I must be a Christian!”

I wonder if we have become content to just live in that. If we have decided to live our lives in a Veggie Tales, sanded down faith.

If perhaps we have decided that where we are now is good enough and that we never have to mature in our faith.

Paul came across this same problem with the church in Corinth. The people knew the “Veggie Tales” version of the Bible, they knew that Jesus was raised from the dead, but they never really matured in the faith.  He says this, “I could not talk to you as I talk to spiritual mature people. I had to talk to you as I would to people without the Spirit—babies in Christ. The teaching I gave you was like milk, not solid food because you are not able to take solid food. And even know you are not ready.”

I wonder if we are content to stay where we are. I wonder if we continue to just relax in our faith, and never try and learn more about the fullness of God’s greatness. I wonder if we become happy to live this life that we live in now, to drink milk and never grow up. I wonder if we have become content living life as spiritual children.

Should we not take a stand to “grow up” and dig deeper then the watered down version of the Bible? Should we try a little harder to know the truths of the Bible and implant them into our lives?   

Just a thought….

Rachel Joy