With the constant barrage from media and social actions groups, caring for God’s creation has increasingly mixed secularism, politics and earth worship with what should be a thankfulness for God’s creation. Your children are probably participating in Earth Day activities this week at school or in scouts or some other activity. While most of the activities are innocent, sometimes the teachings that go with them point your children away from God.
Instead of rejecting Earth Day as a pagan holiday, why not use it as an opportunity to teach your children about praising God and good stewardship? Remind them of the story of creation. Tell them the stories when God used rivers, storms, animals and other parts of His creation to accomplish His will. Talk about how God wants us to be good stewards of all of His gifts to us – including the earth. Find ways for your family to regularly, care for God’s creation.
As your children participate in Earth Day activities outside of your home, ask them what they were taught. Many of the lessons seem innocent enough, but when you examine them carefully, they often put nature and the Earth into the position which should be held by God. Mother Nature may even be introduced as an almost goddess like individual who is upset when we don’t take care of the planet. In radical circles, they may even be taught human life should be sacrificed for plants and animals. (Shocking, but this happens more than you would think.)
If your children share ideas which you feel are pointing them away from God, discuss them with your children. Would God agree with those ideas? Why would He be upset people believe them? What does He want us to believe instead? How can we use Earth Day to show our appreciation and awe for the God who cerated everything?
You don’t have to stop recycling or get rid of your electric car to be a Christian and be good stewards of God’s Creation. In fact, most of the conservation activities are great ways for Christians to practice good stewardship. Just make sure the teachings your kids get with the activities point them towards and not away from God. After all, Earth Day should really be a celebration of our amazing God and His wonderful gifts to us.