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I was recently priviledged to speak at my friend's MOMS group on Raising Green Kids. I wanted to share some pretty profound information with you that God revealed to me as I prepared.
For those of us aiming for a life lived Biblically, we can actually look to God’s word for some truth on environmentalism. I love the term “Creation Care” in reference to environmentalism, because it reminds me that I’m striving to take care of that which God created.
Looking back to the origin of our earth, we can find a right perspective and reason for living a sustainable life. Genesis 1:9 paints a beautiful picture of the first “green living” proponent, God the Creator: “And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden.”
In Genesis, Adam and Eve lived in commune with God and with nature. Chapters 1 and 2 tell us how God gave Adam the responsibility to have dominion over nature and even gave him the privilege of naming all the animals. Opponents of environmentalism might find it interesting that in Genesis 2:15 God commands man, in his very first occupation, to take care of the earth, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.”
Genesis 1:31 says, “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”
Creation also has value because it points us as humans to God. Christian Buckley, who serves on the board of directors for Christian Surfers, said,
“It is not hard to explain creative energy to a surfer when he has glided across the face of a perfect six foot wave. It is not hard to explain divine power when he has seen the force of a 25-foot wave breaking on a reef. It is not hard to discuss beauty when he has enjoyed a view of the sunset from the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean.”
Romans 1:19-20 addresses this: “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” The Psalms are also full of descriptions of creation which “declare the glory of God,” as 19:1 says.
The simple fact is that “the environment has value because God has created it and called it ‘good’." (Creation Care)
It’s also important to look at the big picture. Living a sustainable lifestyle goes beyond good things like recycling and composting. A Bible study called Creation Care published by an organization called Plant with Purpose makes a couple of bold statements on the subject. First, the author says,
“For Christians, who have been charged with caring for the poor, a response to poverty must include responding to the environmental issues in which poverty is rooted.”
Take mudslides, for example, which drive victims further into poverty, that could have prevented by better farming techniques. Oftentimes, we fight poverty by taking up environmental causes. As Christians who believe that our God created the whole world, we should be taking some responsibility to care for that creation.
Let's not get caught up in arguing over global warming or organic farming, and instead find little ways for our own families to care for creation. I'm going to be sharing more and more tips and ways to that here as we continue to Go Green together.
Check out the Gidget Goes Green page for a helpful index that I will be constantly updating!