Each April, we celebrate a place we all call home on Earth Day. We all have our differences, opinions, and insights on topics, but we can all agree that the planet we share is a gift. As children of God, we have an important role and responsibility to care for the planet He gave us as a gift. What does it mean then to celebrate Earth Day from a Christian perspective?
Eden’s Instructions
God is the Creator of all that was, is, and will be, and it is clear from the very start of the Universe as a whole that He intended for Earth to be something of beauty. When God made man, He first placed him in the Garden of Eden. In Hebrew, the word “Eden” means “delight.” There is no coincidence here, as Eden was the world in perfection. It was filled with lush vegetation, animals who lived in peace, and pure, unfiltered delight. God formed the first man, Adam, from the very dirt of Eden and breathed His Ruach, or Spirit, into the man so that he may come alive. We are told in Genesis 1:26-28, “Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” So, God created humankind in his image, in the image of God, he created them. Male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
Even from the very dwelling of Eden, God made His desires known that the whole Earth needed to be cared for and respected.
Post-Eden Earth Care
After the fall of man, Adam and Eve were cast from the Garden of Eden into the rest of the Earth. In Genesis 3:18, we see that the rest of the Earth was not as comfortable as Eden and required more work, “you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Earth was not the Garden of Delight, and it required blood, sweat, and elbow grease to produce what was necessary for man to survive. It is important to realize that although this was and still is true, Adam and Eve’s responsibility to care for the Earth was not negated just because they left the Garden. Even today, we are called to be good stewards of the planet we all call home.
How to Care for the Land
As ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven here on Earth, we are given an even heavier call in what it means to steward and subdue the Earth, for we not only are abiding here, but we are also representing Christ in our lives. The Bible instructs how to work the soil for its highest benefit in Leviticus 25:2-5, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, “When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land.”
Instructions such as these were given so that man would properly honor and respect the very soil we have been given as a gift from God. As a kind and loving Father, He gave us this land, soil, and ability to grow food to provide and care for us, and we need to recognize the gift that is. In an application for us today, we must ask if actions we take as human beings will hurt or harm the very land we depend on for provision.
Care for Creatures
The Bible also gives us instructions on how to care for God’s creation of animals. Proverbs 12:10 shares, “Good people take care of their animals.” We can also see throughout Scripture that nature and the creatures who abide in nature matter to God. We can learn so much from nature if we choose to honor and learn from it. Job 12:7-10 explains, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the Earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
Nature can provide us with metaphors, understanding, and revelations that are from the very heart of God. Scripture also says that not even a sparrow can fall from the ground without His permission. He sees the sparrows and sees us too. We must have a heart for all creation of God, not just parts.
What it Means for Us
As stewards this Earth Day, let us come before the Lord in honest and sincere prayer to see what He has for us to do for Him as His ambassadors. This Earth is a precious gift that provides us with everything necessary for our fleshly bodies to survive, and we must honor what we live upon. Let’s ask God how we can live with the Earth, not on it, and how He would instruct us to honor the precious gift He has given.
Prayer:
Father God,
Thank you for our planet. You knew and planned every single facet and detail necessary so that life could not merely survive but abundantly thrive on this planet. Lord, we want to honor the instruction You gave Adam and Eve to keep this Earth. Please speak to us clearly and give us an understanding of how we may do that and how we may honor You in the course of things. Let us not become so caught up in politics or issues of man that we neglect to remember that at the end of the day, what matters most on this Earth is that we are working to bring Your Kingdom here. Father, may Your will be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven.
In the Name of Christ, we earnestly pray,
Amen
Cally Logan is an author and US History teacher from Richmond, Virginia. Her works have been featured on "The 700 Club Interactive," “Jesus Calling Blog,” and “Coffee and Bible Time,” among several notable outlets. She served as a mentor for young women for several years and enjoys challenging women to develop deeper relationships with God and to live fearlessly and authentically. She received her B.A. Degree from Regent University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time in nature, having genuine chats over coffee, and woodworking. Her new book, The Wallflower That Bloomed, is available everywhere now. Connect with Cally: @CallyLogan Instagram CallyLogan.com
