My heart hurts for this kid.

I recently read a book--actually an "illustrated novel" according to the cover. You don't need to know the name or the author--it's not important. What is important is that in it, the protagonist remembers a time in Sunday School (I really don't like that term) when the teacher essentially told him that his God-given talent and desire for drawing was useless in the Kingdom. That in heaven, we would do nothing but sing to God all day. While there will be singing from the pure joy of being in His presence, worship isn't just singing. What I've been learning and working on for several years now is that worship is a way of living, doing everything you do to make Dad happy (I call God Dad. It's Biblical). If this kid had a talent, it was from God, because we literally don't have anything that He doesn't give us. Colossians 3:23 says "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord." He says "whatever" so I think He means "whatever." I don't know what church this author went to as a kid, what denomination it was, or whether this is even based on any of his own experiences, but this character was failed by a well-meaning teacher who had a narrow view of what a ZÖE, abundant, God-filled life was. It's easy to second-guess the actions of someone else (especially a fictional character), but I think it just shows that a lot of people who are teaching children about God and His ways and will need to work on breaking down the limits they've placed on Him. The protagonist should have been encouraged to draw to his heart's content, and present it to God as his very best, like a kid with a misshapen clay bowl on Father's day.

It turns out that the main character (presumably the author) ends up abandoning his faith. From the story, he says that he found too many inconsistencies in the Bible and couldn't believe it as infallible and inerrant. While that may be so, I can't help but wonder if he wouldn't have become so critical of the Word if the believing adults in his life hadn't been so limited in the person of God that they presented to him.

 How would you have handled this boy's gift for drawing?


I may not have it all figured out, but I do say what I think. If you have any questions about faith in Jesus, don't hesitate to email me. It's my job to help you out. Have an idea for me? Let me know in the comments! If you see any spelling/grammatical errors, PLEASE let me know in a comment. I expect others to use correct English, so I should too. Twitter:@GetItReallyReal. Please subscribe and/or share.