For instance, in his world bad people don't have birthdays. Only good people get cotton candy ice cream. Hippopotamuses eat plants and bad people. Apparently so do bears and other wild animals of the north.
He also loves asking questions about God. Most of his questions I find hard to answer.
"Why do bad people hate God?"
I had a hard time explaining this one. I imagine my four year old: at an age where his best friend is imaginary, where he's grappling with discerning the pretend (Spiderman (sorry to offend any of you die hard Spiderman enthusiasts)) from the real (Jesus), and trying to understand the rituals and traditions of the church- and I try to find the simplest answer that will appease his curiosity without offending his intelligence.
I ask him "Who are bad people?"
He answers "well, the ones with guns. And the ones who put God on the cross."
Then I realized the answer. "We are all bad people." I tell him. "We've all done bad things that make God sad. We're all bad people that God helps be good people."
I know it sounds a little "salvation through works"-ish, but that's not what I was getting at at all. We've been teaching on the gifts of the Spirit in Sunday School. I love that we have a group of kids who are learning that it is God who empowers us to live holy lives. It is by His spirit dwelling in us that we bear fruit of love, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, etc.
Bottom line- we're all bad people. Sure, we may not be Swiper or carry guns and fight super heroes, but we're all sinful jerks in our own way at one time or another. It's only because of His grace that we are called good.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9
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| Aidan's Drawing- "God on a Cross" |
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