In my new role as a mother, I admit that I do something controversial — I let my child watch limited television. I know, I know! The mommy bloggers of the world have informed me that this is a terrible decision. But sometimes, I need a few minutes to sit still, so my son and I watch VeggieTales together.
Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s, my siblings and I loved to watch these singing veggies tell Bible stories. And in my house, those are the only episodes that we watch, not the remakes that came along in the last few years.
Recently, I turned on the Rack, Shack, and Benny installment of the series. This episode, released in 1995, retells Daniel’s story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. As I rewatched this childhood favorite, I was shocked to discover that after almost 30 years, I still remembered every tune. Not only that, but as I looked over to my infant son, he was grinning, bouncing, and cooing as the story unfolded.
The chorus of one of the songs goes something like this:
Stand up! Stand up! / For what you believe in, believe in, believe in, God / He’s the one to back you up! / Will stand with you!
Just as the cartoon creators intended, the show and this little jingle served as a reminder of how important it is to stand up for what we believe in.
As we look around, it’s easy to see the darkness in the world. Ideologies opposite of what the Gospel teaches surround us. And often, we’re put in the same position as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Choose to honor God … or follow along with the crowd for acceptance.
In Daniel, these three men were willing to stand up for the Lord to the point of death. In fact, if they had second thoughts or doubts about their decision, the book doesn’t record it. Instead, they were fully prepared to follow the Lord regardless of the cost. In response to the king’s death threat, they replied by saying:
“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18).
And did I mention that this is coming from the mouths of teenage boys?
Again, these three friends could have easily ignored their childhood teaching and gone along with the crowd. But they knew that obedience to God was the most important choice that they could ever make.
I’ll be honest with you; this story is powerful but frightening. If I were the mom of one of those Jewish boys, I would be scared out of my mind. What if something happened to him? I’m not sure what I would do! But I do know, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did, that being in the center of God’s will is better than anywhere else the world has to offer.
And if that means standing up for the unborn, the sanctity of marriage, God’s design for the family, or anything in between … it is worth the sacrifice.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us (Romans 5:8)?
