Caring for God’s Creation (Part 1)

I. Introduction to This Series of Posts

Earth Day occurred recently, and I’d like to look at the spiritual aspects of caring for God’s creation. We should be aware that everything in life has a spiritual component. After all, we are spiritual beings temporarily inhabiting material bodies. Moreover, God made the earth and the universe, and everything belongs to him, as we read in Psalm 24:1-2:

The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. NRSV

So let’s looks at some of the spiritual aspects of God’s creation and our stewardship of it.

II. Not Recognizing God as Creator

Psalm 19:1 says:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. NIV

The work of God is obvious in his creation:
-The universe with all its majesty, beauty, and mystery;
-Even a the atomic level we see God’s creative hand;
-The human body, with its well-engineered complexity, multiple communications systems, and genetic code still being understood;
-The incredible variety of plants, animals, and even fungi, each unique and well designed for its particular role in the fabric of life.

Isn’t evolution grand! Obviously this incredible diversity, complexity, and specialization did not just evolve out of millions of random mutations. This well-ordered world was designed by the Master Designer, God. God’s creation declares his glory, yet some are blinded and fall into the category of what Paul wrote in Romans 1:19-20:

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse. NRSV

More on this topic in a future post