Draw Like a Boy

Draw Like a Boy (or We are Moved by the Spirit)

Dr. Leonard Sax and his important, influential work, "Why Gender Matters," first came to my attention as a result of listening to lectures given by Andrew Pudewa. The former is an American psychologist and practicing family physician and the later founded the Institute for Excellence in writing. Both have had an impact on the education of my children.

In his opus magnus, Sax details the myriad of gender differences between boys and girls and how the same affects education and behavior. For instance, attention is given to the difference between male/female vision: boys have more rods than cones and girls have more cones than rods. This genetic structure causes a difference in visual perception. He also dedicates a large number of pages to diversity in hearing and mathematics instructions. However, for purposes of this short article, the most profound dissimilarity he discusses is the manner in which vision affects perception.

Sax explains, "The reality I was trying to understand...is the fact that when you give young children a blank sheet of paper and a box of crayons, most girls draw people, pets, flowers and/or trees. Most boys try to draw a scene of action at a moment of dynamic change. That's a robust empirical finding, valid across race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. That doesn't mean that ALL boys try to draw a scene of action; some boys draw exactly what the girls draw. But boys are more likely to draw a scene of action, such as a monster attacking an alien; girls are more likely to draw people, pets, flowers, or trees, with lots of colors. The people in the girls' pictures usually have faces, eyes, hair, and clothes; the people in the boys' pictures (if there are any people) often are lacking hair, clothes, often the boys draw mere stick figures in one color. How come? The usual answer "Because that's what we teach them to do" is unpersuasive, as I explain in Why Gender Matters. On the contrary, many of these boys insist on drawing these pictures not because teachers tell them to draw such pictures, but in spite of the teacher's repeated pleas, 'Why do you have to draw such violent pictures? Why can't you draw something nice - like what Emily drew?'"

Andrew Pudewa, at a recent event, summarized this particular portion of Sax's research as follows: "Boys like to draw verbs while girls like to draw nouns." This statement was perfectly illustrated by the young family sitting directly in front of my wife and me. Two well behaved and quiet little girls were drawing pictures of sunshine, houses, horses and family. They used multiple crayons and barely stirred as they drew. Their brother, however, used one dark blue crayon to color the entirety of his car-crashing, fire-exploding, chaotic attack of a picture. And he was much more animated as he drew with arms waving and flailing!

I'm certain that we could all find an exception to this rule. There is always an exception. But that's not the point. The point here is to find the rule, not the variation to it. Why?

Because God is asking us to draw like boys. To be fair, He is also asking us to appreciate beauty and detail as illustrated by a young girl's picture of her family and horse. But He is asking us to draw, with our lives, like a boy. He is asking for the use of verbs, not just an appreciation of nouns. He makes this request via the Holy Spirit and it is indeed the Spirit that empowers us to live a life of verbs.

Scripture repeatedly pronounces that we are filled with or full of His Spirit in order to act. We are provided His Spirit to draw like a boy; to engage in verbs! Let's look at just a few of the biblical mentions where individuals were filled with God's Spirit:

Exodus 28:3 "You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron's garments to consecrate him for my priesthood."

Micah 3:8 "But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin."

Luke 1:67 "And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying..."

And

Acts 4:8 "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders..."

There is a pattern. A purposeful pattern. In each verse we see that we are first filled or full of the Holy Spirit and then action (verbs!) result: filling then making, filling then declaring, filling then prophesying, and filling then speaking. Even a halfhearted attempt to further review the scripture will yield dozens of additional examples in this vein.

This pattern, principle, and truth was hammered home as I recently studied Exodus. Verse after verse, chapter after chapter details tabernacle instruction revealed from God to Moses. Specifics are provided for curtains and clasps, coverings and corners, bars and bowls. And there is artistry: gold carvings, cherubim woven into the tapestry, the mercy seat to cover the ark, and more. This is not hodge podge. This is excellence. And, after an intimate level of detail is provided, what does the Lord do? He fills His people with His Spirit to accomplish all that He has intructed. Look again at the first verse listed above, Exodus 28:3. There are more verses just like that -- the Lord filling so that we are empowered to act in obedience to all that He has proclaimed. (See Exodus 31:3 and 35:31).

Unfortunately, like a non-action, stayed scene resembling only a portrait, "The church has sought to guide the spiritual lives of its members in very practical, reasonable ways. That sounds like a compliment. It’s not. Contrary to Western thought, spirituality is anything but reasonable and practical". -- Jeff Woods

We need to start drawing like boys.

Let's pick a crayon.

Let's start using verbs to advance His kingdom.

The Spirit is provided, we simply need to act.


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