Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Caring For God's Creation -"Till it and Keep it"
Genesis 2:1-17
Rev. Jogy Thomas
Epiphany MTC, New York
Vs.15 “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden with the command to work it and take care of it. It was the intention of God Almighty that man and woman, who He created in His own image, will continue the creation process. God gave them the ability and availability of resources to accomplish the assignment. From the given passage I would like to dwell on the subject “till it and keep it”.
Ownership: Man was not originally in the Garden. God made man and then the garden. After the garden was made, God placed man there and he was charged to do two things, which were “Cultivate the garden” and “keep the garden”. Even in Eden (Paradise) itself man had to work. None of us were sent into the world to be idle. God made our soul and bodies and has given us this earth for our habitation so that we work. Adam could not have been happy if he had been idle. In 2 Thessalonians 3: 10, Paul asserts, if a man does not work he shall not eat. It is still God’s law.
We should always pay attention to the real objective of any work that we undertake. It is to serve God. Adam was to keep the garden because God wanted him to. We are to serve faithfully. Adam was God’s steward. He needed to rightly manage God’s resource. Likewise we are to be conscious workers and show commitment and devotion to the tasks God has assigned us.
Accountable: God commissioned Adam to cultivate the garden. Sometimes we think we are not accomplishing anything significant but we need to realize that we are getting trained for something more important. “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” (Luke 16: 10 -12). It was the intention of God that the man and woman who He created in His own image will continue to work in the earth faithfully and diligently. Christians have to be aware of the fact that work is the duty of the man commanded by God for our own good.
Choice: God gave man a lot of choices. Adam had many kinds of fruits to eat from. In verse 2:16 God clearly points out the immensity of Adam’s choice. “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden”. Diversity brings extra satisfaction and its shows the blessings of God’s unity in creation. Any tree points to the choice in life. God made this world and provided a variety of good things. God freely gives to His creation. God has given all of us certain responsibilities in our relationship with one another to help maintain the tranquility within Eden. If each of us does not fulfill our responsibilities there will be no peace in the Earth.
We are working for God, whether in a high rise office or on a wide plain, we always are working for God. God gave man the wisdom to discern the good and bad. The ownership doesn’t mean we have the right to make our own choice. Our submission towards God’s plan and the willingness to accept His choice are the recommended ways to be responsible and accountable. So ownership, choice and accountability are the ways by which man shall work and care for God’s creation.
PRAYER
Lord, teach us how to be a blessing to others today. Help us to make a big difference in our life situation because You are working through us for maintaining the tranquility of Your creation. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Do we really need to know and experience things to make the best decision towards Christian commitment to God’s Mission?