A Biblical Look at Earth Day

I saw this posted on Facebook by Bridget and
after reading it, definitely feel exactly the
same way about the earth and what the Bible
teaches about it so I thought I'd share it.
(Thanks for sharing Bridget).

How 'Green' is God?

A Biblical Look at Earth Day

These days, it is very popular to “go green,”
and many will be observing Earth Day on April
22 in various ways. What is God’s perspective
of this? Read below to explore what Scripture
tells us about how we are to care for earth…and
one another.

By Joy Allmond

The very first thing the Bible tells us, in
Genesis 1:1-2, is that God created the heavens
and the earth. Later in the chapter (1: 31),
Scripture tells us that His creation brought
Him good pleasure.

We Are Earth’s Stewards

Everything God does is primarily to reveal
His glory, but it is also for the benefit
of those He loves, which is everyone. One of
those things is His creation of earth. In the
first part of Genesis 1:28, God tells Adam and
Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the
earth, and subdue it.”

One of God’s many gifts to us is our land.
Earth is crucial to our very livelihood, as
it houses food, such as fruits, vegetables
and meats for us to eat. It also produces
water, which we could not live without
consuming. It is clear to see that earth
is quite valuable to God, not only because
He created it with His very hands. He also
values it because it sustains life for the
created beings He loves most – you and me.

He has given us the responsibility to plant
the food, raise the animals and keep the
water clean, all for our own good and
sustenance. But, the most important way we
can maintain His creation is through spiritual
preservation – investing our time, money and
other resources into things of eternal
significance: souls.

Our Place

While God takes pleasure in our stewardship
of His creation, He wants us to take care of
one another first. We must be careful not to
place more importance on plants and animals
than on human life. And we must refrain from
giving nature God’s rightful place in our
lives – the center of our worship.

In the second part of Genesis 1:28, God tells
Adam and Eve to “Rule over the fish of the sea
and of the birds of the air and over every living
thing that moves on the earth.” As humans, we are
created in God’s image. No other living being –
no plant or animal – has this quality. So, as we
bear this divine image given to us, we are to
rule over God’s created order.

While this does not give us the right to destroy
earth through carelessness, this passage contradicts
the school of thought by some conservationists that
humans have no dominion over nature, that humans
and nature have equal footing. Furthermore, we are
blatantly told in Matthew 6:26 that God values us
more than His own creation:

“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow,
nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly
Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than
they?”

As believers in Christ, we are heirs and stewards
of the beautiful creation God has given us. But,
we also need to live in a way that is consistent
with God’s heart and mind. Human beings are much
more of a precious resource to God than the rest
of His physical creation.

Besides, “Christ died for us while we were still
sinners” (Romans 5:8). That is the ultimate
indicator of our value. To God, we are worth
the life of his perfect Son.

*All Scripture references are taken from the New
American Standard Bible.