They Are Still Andy's Toy...Whose Are You?

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord.
So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
-Romans 14:8

This past weekend at the Little Prairie Fall Retreat, we finished our lessons with a simple but important scene from Toy Story 3

“Have you all lost your marbles?! He was putting you in the attic!”

Poor Woody.

He knew what had actually happened. Andy was preparing to leave for college, and he intended to put his toys in the attic. But Andy placed them inside a black garbage bag, and through an unfortunate series of events, Andy’s mom mistakenly carried them to the curb.

The toys didn’t see Andy’s intentions.
They only saw what was happening around them.
They were inside a garbage bag.
They were sitting beside the trash.
They watched Andy’s mom toss them onto the curb.

Based on everything they could see, it appeared that Andy had thrown them away.
But Woody knew the truth.
They were still Andy’s toys.

Woody kept trying to explain what had happened, but no one wanted to listen. The others had already made up their minds. They were hurt, angry, and ready to give up on Andy completely.

Woody was right; but he was not understood.

Have you ever been there, friend?

Have you ever known the truth but struggled to help anyone else see it? Have you ever tried to do the right thing while the people around you misunderstood your motives?

Woody definitely became frustrated. (Again: “Have you all lost your marbles?!”) But he did not allow that frustration to stop him from being faithful.

That is what spilled out of Woody: Faithfulness.

When Woody was misunderstood, faithfulness spilled out.
When his friends refused to listen, faithfulness spilled out.
When everyone else was ready to give up on Andy, Woody continued reminding them who they were and to whom they belonged.
Woody was Andy’s toy.

That identity did not change because Woody’s circumstances were confusing. It did not change because his friends misunderstood the situation. It did not even change when they chose to stop seeing themselves as Andy’s toys.

Woody knew who he was because he knew whose he was.

The same analogy often applies to us spiritually.

As Christians, we belong to Jesus. We have chosen to follow Him. We have been forgiven, redeemed, and given a new identity in Christ.

But sometimes we forget.

Other times, if we are being completely honest, we willingly choose not to see ourselves as Jesus followers.

We place that part of our identity in the attic and live as though it isn’t there.

We follow Jesus at church: but not at school.
We follow Jesus at camp: but not when we return home.
We follow Jesus when we are surrounded by Christian friends: but not when following Him could make us feel different, uncomfortable, or misunderstood.

Friend, being a Jesus follower is not simply something we do for a few hours each week.
It is who we are!

Our circumstances do not change who Jesus has called us to be. The opinions of others do not change it. A painful or confusing season does not change the truth of who we are supposed to be.

We still belong to Jesus.

If we are squeezed by disappointment, confusion, or misunderstanding, will faithfulness spill out of us?

Woody could have returned to Andy without the others. He could have said, “Fine! If you won’t listen to me, figure it out yourselves!”

Honestly, that might have been understandable!

But Woody refused to abandon his friends, even after they refused to believe him. He followed them to Sunnyside. He continued trying to tell them the truth. And when he discovered they were in danger, he went back to rescue them.

Woody didn’t only remember that he belonged to Andy.
He kept helping his friends remember that they belonged to Andy too.

That is a beautiful picture of what the church should be!
When someone begins forgetting who they are in Christ, we don’t abandon them. We remind them.
When someone becomes discouraged, we encourage them.
When someone wanders away, we lovingly help them find their way back.
When someone believes a lie, we continue speaking the truth with love and patience.

Being faithful does not mean we will never become frustrated. Woody clearly became frustrated! Faithfulness means our frustration does not get to decide how we treat people.

Jesus remains faithful to us, even when our faithfulness is shaky.

If we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
-2 Timothy 2:13

So let me ask you one more time as we finish our Toy Story 3 devotionals from Little Prairie Bible Camp Fall Retreat:

What spills out of you?

When you are misunderstood, does anger spill out-or faithfulness?
When following Jesus becomes difficult, do you give up-or remember whose you are?
When your friends begin walking away, do you write them off-or lovingly remind them of the truth?

PLEASE, FRIEND—REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!

You are not defined by the garbage bag you may currently find yourself in. You are not defined by confusing circumstances or the conclusions other people have made about you.

If you have chosen to follow Jesus, you belong to Him.

Live like you belong to Him.

And when the people around you begin to forget, be the kind of faithful friend who helps them remember too.

Woody was Andy’s toy, and he remained faithful to Andy, even when no one else understood. May we be even more faithful to the One to whom we belong. -Zac

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful.
-Hebrews 10:23