You are a speck on a hair of a pimple of the universe.
So much for healthy self-esteem. But really: you are not very significant in the context of a vast, beautiful, magnificent universe with planets and stars and mountains and seas and creatures that fly and fish that swim.
Here's the memo: You are not the center of the universe. You are not even close. The world does not revolve around you.
So why do you act like it does?
In Psalm 8 God knocks us off our perch of self-centeredness and exaggerated self-esteem. He compares us to the solar system and we are found seriously lacking. This is a needed reality check. But soon God suggests a proper perspective for us to re-envision ourselves. He tells us that we are lower than the angels, but at the top of the created order. Our God-given role is to manage and preserve the awesome creation he has entrusted to our care.
We are to be good stewards of creation: tending to God's garden and honoring the maker by our treatment of his masterpiece. This is a much needed reminder in a culture that consumes and discards and destroys in ways that are unprecedented in human history. It is a slap in the face of a good creator to ruin, pollute, and abuse that which the Master Artist has painted.
How in-tune are you with this concept of creation stewardship? Are you far down the road, or just getting started? What practices have you adopted to care for God's world? What practices do you need to get started on?
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Creation Stewardship... I have always felt a strong need to have God at the center of my life. I learned the importance of Faith from a ver young age. My Mom & Dad brought my brother and I up with a strong foundation in God. I have carried this strong foundation with me. I have always felt a need to be helpful to others. My occupation is a Nurse. The nuturing and caring that I provide to others has been an example of my stewardship. As a parent, I have always had a very strong belief in wanting to be a Faith example for my son. I admit, I am not perfect... There are many more acts of Stewardship that I could be doing. Do I always put God 1st? My answer is... No... Do I always think about how I could have put God 1st... Yes ( I know that God has an unconditional love for us all... like a Father... God only gives us what we can handle... He wants us to learn from our mistakes... Ironically, like a parent wants the same for their children.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous... Andrea Garling
ReplyDeleteI have recently started sharing different readings from the Bible with my almost 15yo son. He is actively participating in Confirmation Classes. It is so exciting to discuss this with a teenager, especially my own son. He had an enthusiasm for God... I must have been a good role model early on in his life. I encourage all of you that are parents of young children to do the same. Those little ones are like sponges... Let them soak up all that they can from you about God!
I think it is so important just to be conscious of the world that God has created and not get wrapped up in the things that were made by man (that of course would not be created without God).
ReplyDeleteI have been through countless discussions of creation vs. evolution and despite science's attempt to debunk creationism, the Universe as we know it keeps pointing to intelligent design.
I am marveled at our ecosystem and how it requires all of the pieces to function, how there are shared roles and responsibilities that each component takes in making it all work, the cyclical nature that enables it to continue on and simply the differences in it that creates the variety that makes it interesting.
The Green movement resonates with me and sustainability is an important core value for me. My company lists sustainability as one of its four core values. We have done so much to damage our planet and regardless of whether or not we think global warming is real or will threaten the destruction of our planet in the near future, we should still take responsibility to show the world respect and to continue to find ways to stop taking so much of its resources.
Recently in our house, we purchased reusable grocery bags at Wegmans. It took very little effort to bring them with me to get groceries. I filled two bags instead of six. It eliminated the clutter of the plastic bags around the house, and it reduced our consumption of the plastic.
There were so many wins with such little effort. All it took was to be a little conscious of the world around us and to think about how God would want us to take care of this extraordinary gift.
Creation is amazing and I may be simple but I am always amazed that anyone could think that anything smaller than God could have created everything in the Universe. I am not very sucked in to the "Go Green" movement but I still have great respect for all that God has given us! I try to point out the sunset every night to my kids and how the lake shimmers when your fishing and your watching loons float on the water perfectly. We love to be outside and I guess for me the love for the outdoors and enjoying all that God gave us, is how I show good stewardship for creation.
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