[Don't you like how I slipped in these affiliate links? Trying to raise some funds for She Speaks!]

The big “BUT…” Here are some of the reasons why this section of the bookstore often makes me uncomfortable.

• It is hard to find things that have Scripture used appropriately – often verses are ripped out of context and used in some way that makes them trite or meaningless.  That’s an important one, so let me say it again.  Don’t make Scripture, the inspired Word of God, TRITE and MEANINGLESS.  Scripture is powerful.  It’s great to surround yourself with it – but be sure to use it as Truth and not as a rabbit’s foot for God to bless you or as a little something to make you feel good.

• Wearing a Christian t-shirt or carrying a tote bag with a verse on it does NOT equal sharing my faith!  When we went to the Creation Museum last year, I was amused by the vast numbers of Christian t-shirts we saw walking around the building and grounds.  I wonder how many of us feel like we are impacting our society when we really might just be dumbing down the Gospel and not living it out in our behavior or sharing it clearly in our words?  [Now, if you want to wear/ use these things AND use it to share Truth through your words and actions, please go right ahead!]

• In a similar point, I was recently talking with some young women in a Bible study who had in very recent years come to faith in Christ.  They were commenting that since becoming a Christian their families and friends had started buying them all manner of “Christian junk.”  Anything that had a cross or Scripture reference on it seemed to have their name all over it.  They commented that it frustrated them because it felt like their families looked at their new faith as a phase or some new hobby or collection they had started.

• Sometimes it just feels like we’re trying too hard to “prove” how genuine our faith is with all of our stuff.  It’s annoying to me when people are so insecure that they have to constantly parade themselves – whether it’s the fact that they love their children more than anyone else loves their children and have to say it on their bumper sticker, or that they live in a nice neighborhood and feel free to point that out whenever possible – sometimes it’s just obvious that they’re trying to prove something.  Similarly, if I’m really walking with the Lord, I don’t need a thousand “chotchkies” to tell the world that I love Jesus. It will be obvious.

Now, if you want to buy the chotchkies, there is nothing inherently wrong with most of them. I think we just need to make sure that the internal reality matches the message on our t-shirt, mug, and bumper sticker.

And now, I will step down from my soapbox.  What do you think?