All of CreationSample

Caring for God’s Planet

Right after God made Adam, he put him in the garden “to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). Before sin entered the picture, God gave people good work to do. We’ve never stopped being responsible for working and caring for creation. We were made to help it grow and reflect God’s glory. More than that, we were made to care for the needs of all people, especially those whose needs are the greatest and who are sometimes least able to help themselves.

But how? How do we reconnect to God’s original purpose for us? To do this well, it helps to understand how the planet’s systems work. When I built the ant and grasshopper homes, my motivation was right, but I was wrong about their habitat needs. The ants never noticed their carefully crafted hills, and the grasshoppers (ungratefully) bounded away from their beds. Likewise, without the right knowledge, our work can miss the mark. However, when we study and know creation well, we can help it grow and protect it better.

There are so many things you can do, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but that feeling is not going to be helpful. Remember the goal: to simplify what we can and improve our focus on what’s important. Let’s live humbly and be thankful for the blessings God has given us. It’s a daily challenge, and it affects everything, from the stuff we buy (or don’t buy) to our daily habits (like showering) to the things we notice (like litter). How we treat the planet is deeply related to becoming people who treat others as more important than ourselves (Philippians 2:3–4).

We have a chance to put the gospel into action and love things back to life. It’s time for Christians everywhere to step onto the up our sleeves, and get “wrist-deep in dirt” to show the world that we care about our mutual home. Let’s look at planet Earth as Christ does: with plans and visions for restoration and healing, with the never-ending hope of a Savior who makes all things new.