How to appreciate God’s creation: Just stop and look

around.

Having read Genesis 1 so many times that we let its absolute wonder fade. Maybe one of
the first Bible verses we memorized as a child was Genesis 1:1--"In the beginning, God created
the heavens and the earth." Some of us may have been able to say that verse out loud before
you read it on the page because of how many times you've heard it. But do we realize the ultimate
power and magnitude behind those 10 words? God decided to create something good, and He
chose to create us. The word for "create" used in Genesis 1:1 is unique to God when He made
us, and it is only used to refer to His actions. God's creation is something that can never be
replicated or matched.

Appreciating God’s creation is not our duty. Hence, it is an obligation. An obligation as

God made us the stewards of His artwork. As Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God placed
man in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

Let us not downsize what God did when he made the world, and let's take advantage of
its awesome beauty! When I look around, I see the clear, blue sky filled with clouds that
will later water the Earth. I see the trees that pierce that blue sky, which are also homes
for birds and other animals. Right now, I see the salty ocean with its soothing waves, a
body of water that's so big that, from the beach, it almost looks like it never ends. And I
see people, people who were all made in the image of God. God's creation is
magnificent. Let's make sure that we take notice of that and constantly thank him for it.

Clean Your Environment

Be a good steward of your environment by picking up trash at your nearby park. Acting
as caretakers and agents of cleanliness is a sure way to say “Thank You Lord for the
marvelous blessing of today!”

Go For A Gratitude Walk

Take a walk and make it a point to focus gratitude. Thank God for all that you see big
and small around that demonstrates The Creator’s love for you.

Plan and Plant a Garden

If you have a green thumb, get seeds into the ground and start up a garden or flower
bed. This is a simple way to not only show appreciation but also to share His beauty
with others.
Visit The Zoo
All of creation testifies to the wonder and splendor of Almighty God. Spend some time
taking in the details of the Creator’s mind through the various animals He created.

Take A Picture
Capture a sunrise, a waterfall, or a butterfly dancing from flower to flower. Photography
is a lovely way to harness a moment in time.

Spend An Evening Star Gazing

Look up! Go out into the quiet of the night and try to count the number of stars in the
sky. Better yet try to imagine what God was thinking when He aligned each one.
Noticing the blessings of creation daily will always give you something to be thankful for.

Precious Father, thank You for allowing us to benefit from the beauty of all that Your hand
has created. Thank You for our seas, forests, and skies. Thank You for all the beautiful and
fragrant plants, and for the power and wonder of every animal. Thank You for the seasons
and the rains that keep our earth reproducing. We will wake the dawn with our song. O
Lord, our Lord, Your majestic Name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens.
When we look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars you
set in place; what are mortals that You should think about them, human beings that You
should care for them? The highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to
You. We are blessed to be the recipients of all the beauty that surrounds us and testifies of
Your awesome glory. We will sing to You as long as we live. We will praise You until our
last breath! May all our thoughts be pleasing to You, for we rejoice in You, Father.
WHAT IS TRUE ABOUT YOU
TODAY THAT WOULD MAKE
YOUR 8-YEAR-OLD SELF CRY?

The funny thing though, is that if my 8-year-old self asked my

20-year-old self, “Why don’t you write anymore?” and I replied,
“Because I’m not good at it,” or “Because nobody would read
what I write,” or “Because you can’t make money doing that,”
not only would I have been completely wrong, but that 8-year-
old-boy version of me would have probably started crying.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SAVE

THE WORLD?
Find a problem you care about and start solving it. Obviously,
you’re not going to fix the world’s problems by yourself. But you
can contribute and make a difference. And that feeling of
making a difference is ultimately what’s most important for your
own happiness and fulfillment.

God’s View of His Creation

Let us draw a few conclusions about God’s view of His creation.
1. God Appointed Humans as Stewards of His Planet. He makes man’s position in relation to the rest
of creation clear in Genesis 1:28 as He tells man to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth
and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that
moves on the ground.” Man is given a special role of authority and power over all creation. It is
important to note that the “dominion” that God gives man is not a selfish mentality but an authoritative-
yet-responsible mentality. He has given us great honor in this position. 1 God has entrusted us as
stewards with His creation, as we work, care for and rule over it. Let us resist the urge to merely think
about creation as something to serve our individual needs.
2. Everything God Made is Good. After creating the light, sky, earth, plants, sun, moon and stars, birds
and fish, terrestrial animals, and finally man and woman, God looks at what He created and declared,
it is good.” He made each and every insect, variety of grass, ape, bird, etc. with great intentionality,
and He values what He has made. God affirms His creation.
3. God Loves the World He Created. He loves the whole world. We often read John 3:16 as “God loves
the people in the world,” but this is not what it says. While mankind is special amongst all creation, it is
clear that God loves all of His creation and all of it will one day be re-created. 2
4. What God Made Belongs to Him, Not Us. From the creation account to Psalms to Jesus’ parables,
we see very clearly that everything is the Lord’s. This should give us great humility regarding our
surroundings.3
5. God Told the Land and Animals to be Fruitful and Multiply, Not Just Humans. Therefore, we
should be concerned with their ability to do that (i.e. not decreasing their habitats/food supplies when
unnecessary or for wasteful purposes).
6. Everything Was Created to Glorify God. The Scriptures are clear that all of creation exists to bring
glory to God. Everything is expected to acknowledge and appreciate God’s power, majesty, holiness,
wisdom and love.4
7. God Reveals Himself Through His Creation. God uses creation to display His own marvelous
qualities and nature. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities - his eternal power
and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men
are without excuse.”5 He uses His creation to draw people out of darkness to Himself as people see
His beauty displayed on earth.
Common Misconceptions
Before we get practical on how to live this out, let us first deal with some common misconceptions
regarding creation.
1. The Earth is Going to Burn Up. This is poor (though popular) theology. God is not going to destroy
the earth, but re-create it. Rather than annihilating all creation, God will transform creation into its
originally intended unmarred state.6 Even though God will redeem what sin has marred, to absolve
ourselves of responsibility completely disregards the principles of stewardship that God has given us.
2. God Gave us the Earth to Use, So We Shouldn’t Worry. God did give us the earth to support the
needs of all living things, and He has allowed us to use its resources for that end. However, He is the
owner and He gave it to all of us. We receive creation from our predecessors and pass on the
responsibility to steward it for generations to come.
3. People Are Vastly More Important Than Nature. It is true that God has created man to be most
prominent in His creation, as He specifically made man in His image. Though God has given man
great responsibility and honor, He has made and called all things “good.” Therefore, people and nature
should not be made enemies. God does not ask us to choose one to care for. Both are made by His
hands and are loved by Him. He expects man to live in such a way that both people and the rest of
creation are nurtured. On a practical note, to suggest that nature can be disregarded or treated as
second rate is ignorant. We are just as dependent on creation as are all the other living creatures we
share the earth with. The more marred the earth is, the more humankind suffers.
4. My Efforts Won’t Make a Difference. While it is discouraging that only a few people attempt to care
for God’s creation, God never allows us to disobey simply because others are. We must acknowledge
and respond to our mandate to steward God’s creation.
Do We Have an Impact on Creation?
While some things are up for debate, many are not. We can clearly see with our own eyes many of the
negative effects that human activities have on creation, like factories with hazardous smoke stacks and
corporations that dump chemical waste into rivers. And although there is disagreement among scientists
 about climate change and humankind’s impact on it, the majority clearly sees a strong correlation.7 There
is great consensus that many negative effects have been had on our air, our atmosphere, our oceans, our
freshwater and our land.
We must admit that keeping the environment clean and unpolluted, caring for all species, leaving the
earth as undamaged as possible for the next generation models reverence for our Creator, love for our
fellow human beings (even those yet to be born), and the selflessness of Christ to a self-consumed world.

Analyzing Our Society: Consumerist and Wasteful

To properly see ourselves in relation to the earth, we need to step back and look at our culture from the
outside. We live in a consumerist and rushed society; one that is overtly indulgent and self-focused. We
are told to “get all you can, can all you get, and sit on the can.” In the United States alone, we represent
only 5% of the world’s population, and yet we consume 30% of the world’s resources and produce 30% of
the world’s trash. Our houses have grown larger (the average house doubled in size since the 1970s) as
our families have shrunk in size. The more space we have, the greater tendency we have to buy more
stuff to fill it – stuff that accumulates, needs to be managed, cleaned, organized, and then disposed of
when we no longer find pleasure in it. We consume twice as much as we did 50 years ago.
Practical Next Steps
As we grow conviction about our role as stewards of God’s creation, our view of how we interact with our
surroundings should change. Our minds and hearts should increasingly see life through His lens, which
should begin to shape our daily choices. Below are three suggested starting points.
Reduce Waste
1. Buy Less. Recycling is good, but good stewardship begins by with careful purchasing. Analyze before
you buy. Think about your purchases for at least a week before buying to make sure they are wise
purchases.
2. Choose Reusable Options. Consider using cloth diapers, cloth napkins or old kitchen towels.
3. Buy in Bulk and Reduce Packaging. Bulk purchases save both money and packaging. It also saves
trips to the store. You can split bulk items with a friend, freeze items, put into airtight storage
containers, etc. Try to eliminate individual size containers (i.e. yogurt, soda, juice boxes, etc.). Nearly a
1/3 of our household garbage comes from packaging.
4. Recycle and Repurpose. Find new purposes for things you no longer need (i.e. old clothes as rags,
jars as food storage containers, etc.).
5. When You Buy, Buy Quality. As much as possible, try to buy things that will last a long time. This not
only saves you time, but saves unnecessary disposal of cheap materials.
6. Buy Used Instead of New. When you can, make the most of used products. Think soberly about what
really needs to be “new.”
7. Reduce Junk Mail. Do not receive catalogs that you do not need and get your name removed from
junk mail. 9
8. Compost. Make your soil richer while reducing the amount of waste that needs to be hauled away
from your home.
9. Give Away Your Money. A great solution to overconsumption is being generous.
Eliminate Toxic Material Usage
1. Use Healthy Cleaning Supplies and Avoid Toxic Materials. Use healthy cleaning supplies and
avoid toxic materials. Most toxins in our homes are ones we brought in via our cleaning supplies. Not
only do they pose health risks for some people, but they leave our houses moving down the waste
stream, ending up somewhere else in creation. Use nontoxic supplies, i.e. baking soda, vinegar, lemon
juice, salt, borax, etc.
2. When Possible, Buy Organic. We often think that organic is just about not consuming chemicals and
pesticides for ourselves and our families through the foods we eat. It is that but so much more. By
purchasing foods from “organic” farmers, we build up the businesses of farmers who don’t spray their
fields with artificial fertilizers and pesticides, which run into the soil and then as it rains get washed into
our waterways.
God has given us clear mandates to care for and steward His incredible creation. We must take this to
heart, and we must recognize that this surfaces a huge battle in our hearts. Are we willing to give up what
we want for the sake of others, creation, and our Creator? John Stott said, “We must learn to think and
act ecologically. We repent of extravagance, pollution and wanton destruction. We recognize that human
beings find it easier to subdue the earth than they do to subdue themselves.”

All of creation – MercyME

Separated until the veil was torn

The moment that hope was born
And guilt was pardoned once and for all
Captivated but no longer bound by chains
Left at an empty grave
The sinner and the sacred resolved
And all of creation sing with me now
Lift up your voice and lay your burden down
And all of creation sing with me now
Fill up the heavens let his glory resound

Time has faded and we see him face to face

Every doubt erased forever we will worship the king
And all of creation sing with me now
Lift up your voice and lay your burden down
And all of creation sing with me now
Fill up the heavens let his glory resound
Ohh ah ohhh... ohh ah ohhh
The reason we breathe is to sing of his glory
And for all he has done praise the father praise the son and the spirit in one
And all of creation sing with me now
Lift up your voice and lay your burden down
And all of creation sing with me now
Fill up the heavens let his glory resound

And all of creation sing with me now

Lift up your voice and lay your burden down
And all of creation sing with me now
Fill up the heavens let his glory resound
And every knee will bow oh and every tongue praise the father praise the son and the spirit in one

A Photo Scavenger Hunt is an activity that involves groups finding interesting things and capturing
them using a camera. A simple yet fun way to promote teamwork and bonding.

 Materials Required: At least one camera (digital or smartphone camera is fine) per
group. Sheets of paper with the checklist of items.
 Recommended Number of People: Groups of 3 work best.
 Time Required: One hour for a quick activity, or 2 hours for a longer version.

How Do You Play Photo Scavenger Hunt?

Setup

Prepare sheets of paper with the items that need to be photographed. See ideas below. Print these
out — one sheet per group. Form teams of three. Be sure each group has a working
camera. Digital cameras (including smartphone cameras) work the best, although Polaroids can
also be fun.

In a word processor, prepare several interesting items that players will photograph. These could be
interesting situations, unique things in the neighborhood, hard to find places, food items, specific
kinds of clothing, or an activity. Some ideas include:

 A girl in an orange hat

 Trendy glasses
 A police or security officer
 A group photo of a human pyramid
 A pizzeria
 A man with a white beard
 An object that begins with the letter “Q”
 A person more than 7 feet tall
 A person doing a cartwheel

The zanier or sillier, the better. Make some of the items challenging, but doable. You can create
bonus challenges as well if you wish.

Playing the Photo Scavenger Hunt

Once the group is divided into smaller teams of 3 and are ready with sheets and cameras, they are
ready to be sent out into the world. Let them know the time limit and meeting place for debriefing (1-
2 hours, depending on how long you want the activity to be. If you wish, you can ask groups to
email you the photos as they collect them, but this is optional. Groups must also stay together at all
times (no splitting up). Send everyone out to start photographing!

When time is up, allow each group to present their photos along with their checklist sheet. Each
group earns one point for each challenge successfully photographed and if you wish, extra bonus
points for creativity or effort.

Telephone Charades is a hilarious combination of the Telephone Game and Charades.

 Materials Required: Slips of paper with the clues written on them.

 Recommended Number of People: Groups of 6 are ideal.
 Time Required: About 10 minutes per clue.
 Ages: All can play. Clues can be adapted for all ages.

How Do You Play Telephone Charades?

Setup

Prepare clues for the game by writing them on slips of paper. Clues can be situations (e.g.
“Becoming the President of the United States of America”) or silly things (e.g. “dancing Gangnam
Style”). Arrange each team by having all members line up and face the same direction (all members
facing to the left, for instance).
Playing Telephone Charades
Show the clue to be acted out to only the last person in the line — let’s call him “Person A”. Person
A taps the shoulder of the next person in line (Person B), and Person B turns around to watch. The
first person (Person A) must act out the clue (without speaking or making any noises) to the next
person in line (Person B). Next, Person B taps on Person C’s shoulder and after he turns around,
acts out what he or she thinks is the clue to Person C. It’s possible that the message gets warped or
ruined along the way — but this simply makes the game funnier. Once the acting goes down the
line to the last person, the last person must guess what the original clue was. If the team was
successful in guessing the clue, the team gets a point.