We need to remind ourselves that we as Christians should lead the way in a balanced stewardship of our environment. After all, it is our Creator God who brought our planet and cosmos into existence and splashed it with every color imaginable—especially green! So while God is not green, He certainly does have a creative green thumb! It is evident all around us, especially during spring when green is bursting out all over. We also need to remind ourselves that God’s first home for man was not in an urban environment with all of its skyscrapers, concrete, steel, and pollution. No, it was a lush green garden called the Garden of Eden. The root word in the Hebrew means “delight, pleasure.” So the Garden of Eden was literally a spiritual and environmental house of pleasure for Adam and Eve. Sadly, it was soon polluted by the deadliest toxins of all—sin and self! Pleasure was exchanged for pain and delight turned into decay. Soon, death invaded every area of man’s existence: his relationship with God, his relationship with his spouse, and his relationship with his environment. Man was expelled from his garden paradise and we have all lived “east of Eden” ever since. And also since that time, man has continued to pursue the fruit of that same tree. He continues to believe and worship knowledge as the source of life. To quote again the Apostle Paul, “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:22–23). Once again, please don’t misunderstand me. I am vitally concerned about the environment! But we Christians need to be leading the way and setting the example of a biblically balanced approach to the stewardship of our environment.
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