I Am a Christian and I (Still) Shop at Target

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How do I love Target? Let me count the ways! Between the Red Card discounts and Drive Up, Target has been especially helpful to me as a mom of young children. Target’s Drive Up service is free and since it often feels like making it out the door is nothing short of a miracle, I’m incredibly grateful for it. Having groceries and household essentials ready for me to pick up within two hours is a tremendous blessing. I recently learned that some locations even offer Starbucks pick up and store returns via Drive Up. What a time to be alive! 

What I particularly love about our local Target, Target Round Rock, is a special employee named Diana. She’s known as Miss Diana to my kids and we look for her every time we enter the store. Miss Diana is incredibly kind, sweet, and encouraging. She stands ready to offer my kids a sticker and a smile. She’s shared with me stories about her own kids and has encouraged me as I’m raising mine. 

The ladies who bring my Drive Up orders are courteous and helpful. To them, they’re just doing their job. To me, they’ve done a huge service and I don’t know that I will ever find a way to repay them. From grabbing random items to quickly having medicine ready when my kids have been sick, these Target team members are on top of it. 

I am grateful for Target and have come to love the people who work there which is why I was so saddened by some of the online posts and articles I recently read about it.

Many Christians have been abuzz online about Target’s Pride Month products. I was blissfully unaware of this until someone shared a post to their Instagram Story about it (which further compels me to consider the merits of spending less time online). 

I clicked the post equal parts confused and curious and what I saw deeply grieved me. It wasn’t the Pride products that did me in, it was the ungodly responses from my brothers and sisters. One of the initial posters claims to be a Christian yet consistently lacked gentleness and kindness in how they responded to commenters. I don’t understand how that gives off the aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15) especially as gentleness and kindness, along with other virtues, are the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). 

An article by a fellow Christian had overtones of anger toward Target. This struck me as odd because Target has never claimed to be a Christian corporation. It is strange to me that Christians are surprised when a secular store sells items accordingly. The same article linked to a report of individuals destroying merchandise in violence and rage and it seemed as if this was acknowledged as a victory. Target employees are moving Pride products and some have even been recalled in an effort to ensure employee safety. We should be grieved that image bearers are fearing for their safety (and in some cases, lives). As products are being pulled, I wonder, are hearts being changed? Are people seeing a compelling gentleness and kindness from Christians that is indicative of the one true God indwelling us (Romans 8:11)?

Much of the vitriol was around an artist who has designed a product stating “Satan respects pronouns.” (A product, by the way, that wasn’t included in the lineup for Target). I’ve found it helpful to remember that pronouns are a part of speech, and speech and language are merciful gifts from God and they were His idea. I have trouble believing that Satan could respect something he didn’t create. While that statement may cause a stir, I remain unconvinced that it’s actually true. Regardless, it’s made me grateful to God for the gift of speech. 

I’ve also found it helpful to recall that products are morally neutral. The hearts of those who design and consume them are not. We don’t need to be threatened by products and we especially don’t need to be threatened by people (Proverbs 29:25).

The Bible is clear that there are only two types of people: unredeemed sinners and redeemed sinners. While society deems some sins as worse than others, the Bible is clear that regardless of our sin bents and patterns, we are all equally and desperately in need of a Savior (Psalm 14:1-3, Romans 3:23). In forsaking compassion for condemnation, it is easy to forget that the ground is level at the cross. We can quickly begin to see unbelievers as our enemies but the Bible says that apart from Jesus, they are actually God’s enemies. Even so, it is likely that some of them are our future brothers and sisters. Treating them as anything less communicates a lack of hope for their salvation which is strikingly odd considering we say we believe we did nothing to earn our own (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

I process my thoughts through writing and I’ve debated the merits of publicly sharing my thoughts on such a minor issue. However, I’m increasingly convinced that God gave me a voice for a reason and if I see an opportunity to use it for His glory, I can’t resist! Here are a few considerations for Christians who are navigating whether or not they should continue shopping at Target.

Take Your Time

You don’t have to have a conviction about Target and if you desire to have one, you don’t have to arrive at it today. It’s okay to process and pray through whether or not shopping at Target aligns with your conscience, is a wise stewardship of your finances, and makes sense for you.

Remember the Gospel

As Christians, we were once unredeemed sinners, and apart from the kindness of God, our state would remain unchanged. He opened our sin blinded eyes to our need for a Savior and He made us aware that salvation is found only in Jesus (John 14:6). It was His kindness that led us to repentance (Romans 2:4). May this cause us to be so hopeful that since He changed us, the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 2:15), He is abundantly capable of changing others too.

Consider Your Conscience 

You are free in Christ to shop at Target but if your conscience convicts you regarding shopping at Target, don’t. Anything that doesn’t proceed from faith is sin (Romans 14:23). So abstain if necessary and saturate your heart in Scripture to continue cultivating Christlike convictions. And remember that your conviction isn’t someone else’s command.

Pray

A friend recently encouraged me with words someone used to encourage her—”Prayer isn’t the least you can do, it’s the best you can do.” And she’s absolutely right! Pray for humility in your response should you choose to have one. Pray for gentleness and gentle boldness to speak the truth in love when it is fitting to do so (Proverbs 25:11, Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:29). Pray that you will be salt and light to your local Target employees should you choose to shop there. Pray that you will be a winsome witness to all who watch your responses publicly and privately. Pray for those who are yet to trust in Jesus alone for salvation from sin. Compassionately pray that image bearers with misplaced identities will come to know the truest identity one can have—in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Be Kind

I used to believe this statement was losing its significance with its appearance on everyday items like shirts and mugs. My perspective changed when my oldest daughter was gifted a shirt with this expression. Why? Because it meant God’s word was being publicly displayed every time she wore it (Ephesians 4:32). Kindness is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). If we find ourselves lacking in it, it is helpful to consider whether or not we are keeping in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

Be Gentle

Philippians 4:5 says, “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.” While this instruction was for Christians within the context of the church, it remains relevant for Christians today. Many Bible translations of Philippians 4:5 use the word gentleness in place of reasonableness. Paul, who authored Philippians, also wrote Titus 3:2 in which the word gentle is the same Greek word used for reasonableness in Philippians 4:5. In Titus 3:2 Christians are instructed, ” . . . to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (emphasis is mine). What a good word for Christians in 2023. If the way we express truth doesn’t give off the aroma of the capital t Truth (John 14:6), we do well to pause and examine our hearts (2 Corinthians 13:5). 

Vote With God’s Dollars

One of the most prominent “solutions” I’ve seen to the Target dilemma is to “vote with your dollars.” While Christians are free in Christ to shop at Target and/or elsewhere, it is important to remember that whenever we spend, we are actually “voting” with God’s dollars. Money is a temporary gift from God for His glory. Spending it elsewhere, there’s a high probability that you’ll still be supporting unredeemed sinners, the primary difference being their sin bents and patterns. Wherever you spend, you’ll also likely be supporting Christians. In addition to its Pride merchandise, Target sells thousands of Christian products including books and Bibles (see the next paragraph for more on this). Christians also work at Target and Christians who do influencer work (like me), also make money when consumers shop at Target. Money won’t exist in eternity even so, how you steward it matters. God knows your heart and spending His money, even at Target, cannot separate you from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

Instead of Resisting, Pursue Redeeming

One aspect of the Target fiasco that was really disheartening and inconsistent is that Christians were quick to condemn Target while failing to recognize the Christian products it sells and promotes. On Mother’s Day weekend, Target featured Ashlee Gadd’s lovely book, Create Anyway, on its website and app homepages! I’m currently reading (and loving) this book and in it, Ashlee faithfully proclaims the goodness of Jesus. Her book is also available in stores! Target is where I ordered my copy of Dr. Michael Kruger’s incredibly helpful book, Bully Pulpit. 

Target even sells the books of the two Christians whose posts were publicly disparaging it. When I typed the term “Bible” in my Target app, 5110 results appeared! I also searched for “Jesus” which produced 1338 results. When I first wrote this post, “Christianity” had 24,309! I went back in this morning to grab the screenshot below and found that number increased to 24,388! When I typed in “Satan,” there were only 23. I also typed in “Pride” which revealed 40 results and “transgender,” which yielded 84. 

When we fear that culture is crumbling, we do well to recall that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Much of the Bible was written in a time when sins such as homosexuality were occurring (Romans 1:26-27). Since then, God has been at work drawing many sinners to Himself, including those who have struggled with this sin and others like it. Some of these individuals who have ministered to me and many others are Beckett Cook, Jackie Hill Perry, Rosaria Butterfield, and Sam Allberry. 

Vilifying certain establishments risks falsely indicating that our righteousness is in our store selections. God isn’t more pleased with Christians who don’t shop at Target. He’s pleased with us as Christians regardless of where we shop because we’re robed in a righteousness that isn’t our own (Isaiah 61:10). Those who have different religious views with similar moral manifestations may also abstain from shopping at Target. Will our response as Christians show that we are any different? If so, how?

Instead of resisting Target, perhaps it’s time we begin redeeming it. Shopping at Target isn’t solely about stuff, it’s about souls. Instead of offering an online outrage about Target, consider praying for your local Target employees who might be fearing for their safety. Pray for them to come to know Jesus if they don’t already and pray for the Target corporate teams too. Pray and prepare your heart for gospel conversations with Target employees and other shoppers should you continue to shop there. Consider making thank you cards or treat bags for Drive Up employees with an invite card to your church.

And whether or not you shop at Target, remember that God is easily pleased with you because of Jesus. Take heart and let your light shine. After all, light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it because it can’t!