What Barbie Taught Me About Genuine Faith

Growing up, I loved playing with Barbie dolls. One day, we went to a garage sale and I saw the prettiest, Coca-Cola Barbie. I feel like she cost $250, but it may have been $50. Either way, she was far more expensive than nine-year-old me could afford.

I asked my mom why the Barbie cost so much and she said it was a collector's item. Barbies that were unopened in their original packaging could get crazy expensive.

Fast-forward nearly a decade. Yesterday, I went shopping at the mall and found the coolest Barbie. She was Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady (my favorite musical!) and came in the original box. She had already been opened, so she didn't cost as much as the Coca Cola Barbie and the store was going out of business.

While Barbies have a higher value if they stay unopened, I never quite saw the point. Why keep a Barbie trapped in packaging when she could be free?

I think sometimes we try to hide our faith or God-given abilities. Maybe we think it will be worth more or less tainted if we keep it to ourselves. It's intimidating to open the box and step out into the world.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable about three servants. When the boss left town, he entrusted the servants with varying amounts of money. The servant with 5 talents invested the money and doubled it. The servant with 2 talents also doubled his money. But the servant with 1 talent hid his money in the ground. When the boss came back, he praised the two men who earned twice as much as they were entrusted. The servant with 1 talent was afraid of losing the money and hid it, but the boss rebuked him.

God wants us to invest the resources and abilities He's given us for the furthering of His kingdom. While Barbies do gain value sitting unopened for years, our faith does not.

What abilities or resources has God given you? Do you find it easier to share them or hide them?

I know there are times I let fear get in the way of doing what God's called me to do. I just sit there like an unopened Barbie, afraid to make mistakes or take chances. Yet how rewarding is it when we take a leap of faith and make a difference for God's kingdom.

As James 2:14 (NLT) says, "What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?"

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