Loving the Environment

Enjoying the environment and beauty often gets a bad reputation when people take it to extremes. Some believers even go so far as to say, “Let’s trash the Earth, God is giving us a new one anyway.” How does this line up with Scripture? What does God think about the environment?

In Genesis 2:7, when God used the earth to form man, it gives value to the planet. Man was God’s masterpiece, and He used dirt to make him.

In Genesis 2:9, he made trees which were nice to look at. They could have been merely utilitarian, serving a purpose. God valued beauty as well as function. All He created was called good.

If we hold to the belief that we can trash the earth, we are doing two things:
1. We are trashing the very thing that man is made from. In devaluing the Earth, we devalue mankind and God’s Creation.

2. We are not heeding the command in Genesis 1:26 to take dominion and stewardship over the earth. Dominion indicates rulership and stewardship, or the ability to make things better.

There are limits to this appreciation for the environment. Man must still be superior to nature.

Humans are alone in bearing the image of God, His very breath, which makes them superior over all Creation (Gen. 1:27).

We must always value mankind over the Creation. Trees, animals, and plants all have value, but not more than mankind.

Conserve and steward the natural resources that God has given man.
Turn off the water.
Switch off the lights.
Don’t waste food.

These are not merely tactics of a certain political agenda, but godly actions of stewardship.

Application:

• How do we view the environment? Is is a political agenda or religious view?
• Take time to slow down and appreciate beauty. Get outside and spend time in nature. Visit art museums and see the masterpieces, many of which were painted by Christians. Do some activity that has no productivity associated with it, but merely celebrates beauty

What do you do to enjoy the beauty of God’s Creation? How do you feel the church is or is not doing at loving the environment? Let the dialogue begin!

This post is one in a series of devotionals which were published in La Biblia Del Discipulo (The Discipleship Bible), which is a Spanish language Bible. For more information on the Bible, please visit : http://www.bibliadeldiscipulo.com.

The E-Version is also available for IPads or mobile devices. Copyright 2011.