Tag: creation

by James Makuba

In an age where entitlement, pride and greed are normalised and even promoted - to the detriment of our planet, our societies and even our own souls - it is worth asking ourselves a simple question, following Socrates’ ancient admonition that “the unexamined life is not worth living”.

The question(s) I’d like us to ponder are: What is our purpose in life as human beings inhabiting God’s creation? Besides the why - which might be an entirely different discussion - what have we been created for?

I have some answers of my own, however I would very much rather you critically and carefully explored yours in light of the Word of God to come to your own conclusions.

We see in Genesis that, as God’s ‘image bearers’ (Genesis 1:26-27), we are tasked (and honoured) with the responsibility to work/cultivate/serve and keep/watch over the garden of Eden, God’s original and perfect creation of which we are an integral part (Genesis 2:15).

I think it’s fair to say that we all know how the story unfolds in following chapters. However, if you don’t know yet, or if you need a reminder, feel free to read the rest of chapter/book. Much of the time since then our understanding of our role within creation has focussed on domination rather than stewardship or more, seeing ourselves as part of and in relationship within the whole web of creation.

Fast forward a couple of ages, and we find ourselves with the fullness of revelation, Jesus Christ, God Himself, the Son of Man who “did not come to be served, but to serve […]” (Matthew 20:28, Mark 10:45). The very Person by whose breath we have received and keep ours, lived among us, in the same broken and challenging world and “[…] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped […]” (2 Philippians:6-7), choosing forgiveness, humility and service over self-interest, grandiosity and greed when He quite literally had every right and authority over life itself.

What does that tell about us about the tendencies of our world, our own ways and ourselves? Of course, given our brokenness and capacity for sin, it’s natural for us often to want more than we need, to feel that we are owed the things we so easily and regularly take for granted and to look to advance our own interests and agendas. But is that all there is to human existence? Are we simply here to follow our more base and natural desires and inclinations even at the expense of our neighbour, our future generations and the whole of creation? Or can we realise that God calls us into right relationship with the whole of God’s creation?

We are clearly seeing how the consequences our selfishness endangers not only the whole planet with high levels of land and marine deforestation and pollution, but also all its inhabitants, human and non-human alike. We also see how this self-centred, vainglorious and grandiose image we hold of ourselves as “supreme rulers of the earth” plays out against ourselves the very moment we remove or fail to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and true authority thus causing us to disregard His will and to extend our destructive tendencies outward onto each other and the created order.

I firmly believe we can and must do better with and by the Grace of God. For the sake of ourselves, for the sake of the created order and for the greater glory of God in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.