Each Saturday, I will do my best to answer your questions. I don't pretend to be an expert, but I know it's not easy being a wife and mother. It can be frustrating and discouraging, yet very rewarding. I'd be glad to listen to you, pray for you, and share some of my thoughts with you.
So, ask me something... anything...
Dear Vonnie,
It seems like everything I see lately is on the environment and being green. How important is all this? Is it about being a good steward or are folks overzealous?
Wondering What to Say
I just attended a meeting that was discussing the future of an island off the shore of our town. Searsport has the second deepest port in the state. Many ships from all over the world dock here and unload their goods. With the dropping economy, it would be nice to see more jobs created with a cargo port put on the island. There those who passionately oppose it, because they say it will destroy the wetlands and fragile environment...even affecting the whales in the ocean. I love whales and would like to see one in the wild, but there's got to be priorities..and some common sense.
In Genesis 1:28 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."
God made man different than animals. He carefully formed man in His image and breathed His eternal breath in him. He then gave Adam the right to have dominion over the animals. There is a responsibility to manage the land and animals responsibly, but when it take precedence over human lives, then it is too much. There needs to be a balance in our lives.
I love animals. I have had many pets, and I never let my children tease and hurt animals. I am not against hunting; it is a way to control an overpopulation of some game and provides good food. But...there is a growing trend of treating animals as fellow "humans". Dogs and cats are pampered and given too much attention. I don't want to get into all that people are doing for their pets, pouring money into things that the animals don't even care about.
I love nature, but I don't get upset over land being cleared and trees being cut down to farm, to build a house, or for firewood. Trees will grow again. Farmers and lumbermen know how to harvest so that their resources will be renewed.
It is good stewardship not to over pollute our surroundings, and we should teach our chidren re-use things, to cut back on our garbage and spending money needlessly. We live in a "throw-away" society, where our children are in the habit of using something once and getting a new one to replace it. We need to be grateful and content with the things we have. We need to learn to appreciate "hand-me-downs" and repaired items.
We should be careful not to let our passion be focused on nature and not on God or the needs of man. Funds for endangered species could be used for missionary work or homes for people after a disaster. We need to teach our children to reach out to their fellow mankind, to love them, and pray for them. We need to be good stewards of what we have been given, but we also need to put things in the right perspective.
20. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen."
Nature should point us to the Creator, to put us in awe of His power and wisdom, to realize that He made us and "owns" us. We should fear and honor this great God of the universe!
1 comment:
Recently on the news I saw that groups are blocking the building of wind farms. It would bring jobs into a communities where there are none. How can we seek to save birds habitats when habitats of our fellow human beings are being taken away because they have an inability to pay because factories are being closed....
Very strange. Very sad.
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