Immanuel Baptist Church

As I write this many people are celebrating Earth Day. This day is used to draw attention to the value of our planet and the need to take better care of it. Though this day is almost always a secular celebration, there is value in it for Christians.

God created the heavens and the earth. We know this from the very beginning of Scripture. God created man and woman and commanded that Adam and Eve tend to this new creation. We are to take care of it, tend to it, watch over it. As a gardener tends to his garden, we are to tend to the whole earth.

I don’t want to see people go into environmental extremism. Humans are more important than plants and animals. The planet exists for us, not the other way around – and we all exist for the glory of God. Some people go too far in earth advocacy. But Christians should be among those most concerned for our planet.

The earth is a magnificent gift from God. It is full of such beautiful things, all of which give evidence to the glory of our creator. How terrible when human sin and greed damage this world God has made for us.

Be a good steward of the earth. Tend the garden well. Don’t litter. Pray and work for reduced pollution. Be mindful of how you use resources. Because this sounds like liberal ideology many Christians are quick to reject good stewardship of the earth. But taking care of the planet was God’s idea, not Al Gore’s. Many on the left sin by going too far, many on the right sin by not going far enough. Let’s occupy the middle where we recognize the place of God above all things, the place of man above creation, but the value and need to take care of the world God has given us.