Over the years, when I’ve felt a bit depressed or anxious, I’ve noticed that it often follows times when I’ve spent too much time with the news and current events. The ugly sights and sounds of the new media depress and distress me. Ugly sights and sounds produce ugly, thoughts, feelings, words, and actions.
One of the things that’s helped me get out of these ugly moods is filling my eyes, ears, and mind with beauty. Sometimes I go out and walk in the creation and, in Michigan, I almost always see some beautiful birds, animals, or even fish as I do so. Michigan winters are not so easy! But I found that watching nature programs about animals, birds, fish, and varied environments around the world really lifted my mood and calmed me down.
Why was that? I wasn’t sure until I read Genesis 1:20-25 and realized that this was part of God’s original plan. The good world he created, creates good thoughts and feelings. Let’s walk around the Garden of Eden with Genesis 1:20-25 in our hands and open our eyes and ears to the amazing sights and sounds.
GOD GAVE US VARIED CREATURES
- There were varied environments: sea, air, land
- There were varied categories: fish, birds, animals
- There were varied types or kinds within each category.
They were varied, but were they beautiful?
GOD GAVE US BEAUTIFUL CREATURES
- Beautiful sights
- Beautiful sounds
- Beautiful touch
They were beautiful to look at, but were they happy themselves?
GOD GAVE US HAPPY CREATURES
- Happy individually
- Happy together
They’re beautiful and happy, but are they useful?
GOD GAVE US USEFUL CREATURES
- Useful for one another
- Useful for food
- Useful for clothing
- Useful for transport
Yes, there’s much that’s ugly and depressing in the world, but God gave us varied, beautiful, and happy creatures to give us varied, beautiful, and happy thoughts and feelings.
The media world is samey, ugly, sad, and useless; but God’s world is varied, beautiful, happy, and useful.
LIVING THE BIBLE
Use the varied, beautiful, happy, and useful creation to re-create varied, beautiful, happy, and useful thoughts and feelings about God, yourself, and your world.
This episode of Living the Bible lines up with Expedition 1: Day 2 in Exploring the Bible Together: A 52 Week Family Worship Plan and Exploring the Bible: A Bible Reading Plan for Kids. You can catch up with previous episodes of the Living the Bible podcast here or subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcast.
