Wings – Child (Agnes, Olaf, Nemo)

Hello, friends, and welcome to another fictional-stories-as-Bible-connections post! This month, I’m exploring four different headspaces or facets of our identity in Christ. These different facets, when lined up with Scripture, can provide us with an effective way of approaching the throne of grace and living out our lives as believers. To start, we’re examining our identity as children of God. Enjoy!

Fandom: Agnes from Despicable Me, Nemo from Finding Nemo, Olaf from Frozen

Verses: 1 John 3:1,4:8, John 1:10-18, Mark 10:13-16, Romans 8:28-32, Isaiah 29:23, 49:15, Jeremiah 31:20, Matthew 7:7-9, Gal. 4:6-7, Proverbs 23:26, Mark 8:13-16

Truth: As children of God, we can approach His throne in prayer with both humility and boldness.

Want to find out more about this study and devotional? Start here!

The Character: childhood (Agnes, Olaf, Nemo)

I imagine the Child character as a little kid, maybe five or six years old. They are completely adorable, bestowing love and trust on people without reservation. They are honest with their emotions and boundlessly creative, unafraid to ask for comfort or provision. Their joy and optimism know no bounds. While they may experience fear or anger and may sometimes rebel against their parent’s instructions, they are always willing to make up for their mistakes. They will ask to wear their favorite accessory on any old day, and do so without concern for what society’s expectations are. They have confidence that their Father will always love, provide for, and protect them.

Characteristics of the Child

• Eager to share ideas, gifts, and aspirations
• Loves everyone unconditionally, especially the Father
• Simple joy and complete trust, even in moments when a “rational” human would doubt
• Boundless creativity without inhibitions or limits based on “logic”
• Is unafraid to ask for things because she knows the Father is good
• Is honest about mistakes without fear of judgement
• Seeks comfort from the Father without hesitation or reservation

Agnes

Agnes’ enormous brown eyes and enthusiastic love for candy and unicorns instantly charm anyone in possession of a heart. I love how easily she accepts Gru as her new parent, even when he is doing everything that he can to resist the role. Her complete and utter rhapsody when she receives the giant fluffy unicorn are so contagious. And of course, when the moment arrives and the girls have to jump into their new father’s arms, Agnes is the first to take the leap.

Olaf

After watching the Frozen Christmas special, I have a theory that Olaf represents Anna and Elsa’s childhood, the happy times they had before they were separated. Elsa brings him to life with a thought as she’s ascending her isle of isolation, which to me indicates her continuing desire to be with her sister. I love how curious and innocent Olaf is, and how his optimism enables him to literally bounce back from any kind of difficulty. His trust that things will work out, even when he’s literally in the process of melting warms my heart. When confronted with scary and unfamiliar situations in Frozen 2, Olaf’s conclusion that “this will all make sense when I am older” is just a little too relatable lol. In the end, though, we all love Olaf for his sweet spirit and unconditional love for Anna and Elsa, which means following them wherever they go and doing whatever he can to make them happy.

Nemo

Nemo to me represents the rebellious and stubborn side of childhood. The entire premise of Finding Nemo is based on the fact that the adorable little kid decides not to listen to his over-protective father and ends up lost. He has no idea how much Marlin has lost because his father has probably never told him; instead, he sees his efforts to protect as unfair rules and restrictions. Ultimately, though, the story of Nemo is one of his father doing whatever it takes to find and rescue him, which is pretty much the ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT (God chasing down Israel, who are described as His stubborn and rebellious children). Yep, that’s a thing that I will DEFINITELY be coming back to look into further at some point.

Verses

Here are some verses I found that inspired the list of character traits above:

Unconditional love

See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and [in fact] we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him.

The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 3:1,4:8

He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and [yet] the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.

John 1:10-13

Trusting in the Father’s provision and accepting His Kingdom

‘The LORD your God, who goes before you, will Himself fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,
and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, on all of the road which you have walked until you came to this place.’

Deuteronomy 1:30-31

“But seek His kingdom, and these things will be provided to you.
“Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father has chosen to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:31-32

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to [His] purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined [to become] conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers [and sisters;] and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God [is] for us, who [is] against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

Romans 8:28-32

And they were bringing children to Him so that He would touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.
But when Jesus saw [this,] He was indignant and said to them, “Allow the children to come to Me; do not forbid them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
“Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”
And He took them in His arms and [began] blessing them, laying His hands on them.

Mark 10:13-16

I love what commentator David Guzik has to say about this passage! Read more about it here : )

Humility and boldness

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

“For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

“Or what person is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone?

Matthew 7:7-9

Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!”

Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

Gal. 4:6-7

This last verse to me informs how we can approach God the Father in prayer – with humility and confidence, like a child crying out for a parent. Confident that He’ll listen and answer, and completely dependent on Him to do so.

Obedience vs. Rebellion

Give me your heart, my son, And let your eyes delight in my ways.

Proverbs 23:26

“Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

“Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly [still] remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will certainly have mercy on him,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 31:20

But when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, They will sanctify My name; Indeed, they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, And will stand in awe of the God of Israel.

Isaiah 29:23, 49:15

These last two verses were written/spoken to the nation of Israel when they were in exile. God allowed them to suffer the consequences of their rebellion, but He is also quick to forgive and restore as soon as they show a willingness to return to Him.

Here’s another post you’ll love about childlike innocence and devotion.

Reflection questions

Here are some reflection questions to help us internalize and apply what we’ve learned today:

• What does being “childlike” mean to you? How does the Bible characterize children?
• How can you approach prayer with a childlike mindset?
• What reservations or presuppositions do you need to let go of that are keeping you from submitting to the Lord with a childlike spirit?
• Investigate what it means to “ask and you will receive.”

Free printable!!

Conclusion

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post. What does it mean to you to be a child of God? Are there any other fictional childlike characters that I should study or include?

Happy fangirling!