PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: Genesis 1-3
“The Lord God put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” (Genesis 2:15)
God has created an amazing, beautiful world, and put humans in charge of it.
Our world is a screwed up mess, not because of God but because of humans.
There is a lot of talk about pollution, global warming, climate change, etc.
How should we as Jesus followers respond to all of this?
For me it has nothing to do with whether climate change science is right or wrong.
Humans have a way of twisting the facts, whether for or against climate change.
The issue for me is human responsibility: we are to be good stewards… period.
Our greed and love of pleasure and wealth is what drives us, not concern for others.
We are abusing God’s garden, not caring for it, and the damage is evident.
I can protest the greed and indifference of others, but what about me?
Am I wasteful, am I careless about the garbage I produce, the plastics I use?
I can’t fix the environment myself, but I can fix my own attitude and behaviour.
God wants me to care: for people, for the world, for animals, for society.
Through Jesus He has saved me to be a creation care-giver… do I care?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, open my eyes to see the ways I am abusing or neglecting your creation. Open my eyes to ways I can take better care of Your garden! Help me to care about the environment!
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
I’ve been blessed with big barns: do I keep it for myself for my security or do I find ways to bless others. As a nation we have big barns too – lots of resources. Do we ‘burn’ these for ourselves? Can we use our intelligence, innovation and material resources to develop alternatives – solutions that address climate change and share them with the developing world which is turning more and more to coal and fossil fuels? Can we make choices that reduce our consumption of fossil fuels – vehicles we drive and how we heat our homes? Let’s be committed to being part of the solution – using our ‘savvy’ to bless others!
There is only one person I can control and change regarding anything and that includes how I treat and care for God’s creation. So I try to do my part.
Our world belongs to God.
As Adam was a caretaker of this creation, so must I.
All I must do must be like the refrain in the reading – and it was good.
Adam – the first man was assigned as a garden keeper and before he was kicked out of the garden, all was in harmony.
Sin destroyed that harmony
but today and everyday I need to live like Adam did – a caretaker of the creation, restoring the harmony, being environmentally sensitive and being a good steward of the gifts I have received.
Refrain:
All things bright and beautiful,
all creatures great and small,
all things wise and wonderful,
the Lord God made them all.
1 Each little flow’r that opens,
each little bird that sings,
he made their glowing colors,
he made their tiny wings. [Refrain]
2 The purple-headed mountain,
the river running by,
the sunset, and the morning
that brightens up the sky. [Refrain]
3 The cold wind in the winter,
the pleasant summer sun,
the ripe fruits in the garden,
he made them, ev’ry one. [Refrain]
4 The tall trees in the greenwood,
the meadows where we play,
the flowers by the water
we gather ev’ry day. [Refrain]
5 He gave us eyes to see them,
and lips that we might tell
how great is God Almighty,
who has made all things well. [Refrain]
I have to echo your prayer, Norm.