Today, student leaders Nahla and Tyler talked about a beautiful and important topic—our responsibilities for God’s creation. The very first verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” That means everything—God made the sky above us, the ground beneath us, the oceans, the trees, the animals, and even us. He designed it all with care and love, and He gave it to us not just to live in, but to look after. That is a huge responsibility—but it is also a great honor. God didn’t create a world for us to ignore or destroy. He made it for us to care for, protect, and love. That means keeping the earth clean, being kind to animals, not wasting resources, and helping each other.
We are meant to care for the whole earth every day, not just once a year. But our responsibility goes even further than the environment. It includes how we treat one another. In Mark 12:29-31, Jesus tells us what the most important commandments are. He says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength—and love your neighbor as yourself. These are the most important things you can do.” That means we are not only called to love God, but to love each other. In addition, one of the ways we show love is through our words. Our words have power. They can heal or hurt. They can lift someone up—or tear them down. That’s why we need to think before we speak. It’s easy to say something harsh when we’re upset, but part of growing up in faith is learning self-control and knowing that our words matter. There is a time and place for our emotions, but we are responsible for what comes out of our mouths. Speaking with kindness, encouragement, and truth is one of the ways we show God’s love to others.
So today, remember three things: God made this world, and He made it great! We are responsible for taking care of it. God gave us each other, and He asks us to love one another. Our words are powerful, so use them to build, not break. Let us be people who take care of creation. Let us speak with kindness and love. And most importantly, let’s remember that when we love the world, care for each other, and speak good things, we are honoring God, the One who made it all.
