An M3 Weekly Book Review: The Creator in You

As missional enterprise leaders, we want to make a generational difference. In other words, we want to see transformation that impacts not just our current situation, but people and societies for many years to come.

One way to do that is to communicate an inspiring vision for God-honoring creativity to the next generation – today’s young people who will be tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and leaders. Entrepreneur and author Jordan Raynor has written a delightful children’s book to aid in that task.

The Creator in You, written by Jordan Raynor, and illustrated by Jonathan David, is almost certainly unlike any children’s book you’ve seen. First, it’s theme is unique. While there are many excellent children’s books with Christian themes, The Creator in You focuses on the biblical truth of God’s calling for humans to create. Raynor is well-equipped for this task, as he is a business leader, entrepreneur, and author of several highly-regarded books on the intersection of biblical theology and work (including Called to Create, reviewed in a previous M3 Weekly article).

In The Creator in You, Raynor brings the “cookies” of theological insight to the proverbial lower shelf – an illustrated children’s book written in engaging rhyme:

. . . when you work or make something new,

you are doing what God has made you to do.

You are showing the world what your Father is like –

a God who creates to bring people delight.

Each page of verse is lavishly illustrated and the stunning artwork of Jonathan David makes you want to linger long on each page. The captivating artistic depictions of God’s masterwork in creation are by themselves worth the price of the book.

Raynor includes a brief but helpful “Note to Parents” at the end of the book explaining why he wrote the book and highlighting the importance of helping our children see work from a biblical perspective:

We are Called to help our children see that work isn’t a meaningless means to an end. It is a means of reflecting the character of the Creator God to the world and loving others in the process.

We highly recommend The Creator in You to anyone who wants to inspire the next generation to honor our creator God through creativity.1

Verse of the Week:

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. Psalm 145:4 (ESV)

Through whatever means God enables us to use, let’s look for ways to commend God’s works to the next generation this week.