Why Care for the Environment?
On a recent trip to Taman Negara, Malaysia’s National Park, I was awed by the calm river waters that flowed from Gunung Tahan. On a boat ride along Sungai Tembeling, I felt like I had entered a “secret world” away from civilisation.
How wonderful to think that right here at our doorstep lies one of the world’s oldest tropical rainforests. Taman Negara is 130 million years old, with a biodiversity containing over 3,000 plant species and 150 mammal species.
Nature can bring us closer to God and remind us of His great creative power and love, and my little adventure got me thinking about how to care for God’s creation. In our everyday lives, we can perhaps put into practice some habits below in caring for our environment:
- Rubbish in the right places. Littering is a habit that shows neglect and that others are responsible for where our rubbish goes. If we truly believe that this is our Father’s world, then let’s show Him how much we love Him by keeping our spaces clean for all to enjoy.
- Foods in the stomach, not the bin. Our Creator God has entrusted us with a marvellous planet that sustains and provides for us. Through creation, He blesses us with food and drink (Genesis 1:29-30). As such, we can respond to His gifts by not over-buying or wasting food. Managing our perishables, stocks and resources well can be a way to express thankfulness for His provision.
- Recycling our things. Remember the 3 R’s we learned in school? By reducing, reusing and recycling our items, we keep trash out of the landfills and cut down on new resources needed to produce more things. Not to mention, it’s good for our wallets too!
When God created the world, He called it “very good” (Genesis 1:31), and it took me a trip into the forests to catch a glimpse of this goodness. How wonderful it is to think that the Creator Father has given us this earth to steward faithfully.
So whether we live in crowded cities or in rural areas, we all have ways we can look after the areas He has entrusted to us. May His love for the earth impact the way we take care of creation.
ASK YMI: Why should Christians care about the earth when Jesus is coming back?
READ: Celebrating the Wonder of Creation
BUY: Creation Sings His Praise: 90 Devotions on Nature
Wan Phing Lim is a contributor to Our Daily Bread Ministries Malaysia. Born and raised in Penang, she studied Politics before turning to a career in writing. She loves coffee, books and films.
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