How do we know that God wants us to look after the environment.
We know that looking after the environment is a good thing to do but what does God say about it and how does it relate to the cosmetic industry? Well it says 6 times in the bible that everything that God created was good 6 times. He was happy with what he had created. It's like you making an amazing model that looked incredible for your family as a Christmas present. But then when sin came, people started polluting and destroying the earth. Now your model is being destroyed and pulled apart by your siblings because they want to sell it on eBay. They are satisfied but you are feeling let down and disappointed. That is exactly the way God feels when we damage his world! God made us to be stewards of the earth not owners. When we wash cosmetics down the sink and buy products that are tested on innocent animals I don't think we are being stewards of the earth. But if we buy ethical cosmetic products from industries like The Body Shop we are making sure that we are doing what's right.
Some verses that tell us that looking after the environment is essential to a healthy Christian lifestyle.
Genesis 1:26-28 : Then God said ,"let us make man in our likeness. let them rule over the fish in the waters and the birds of the air. let them rule over the livestock and over the whole earth. let them rule over all of creatures that move along the ground.
Genesis 2:15 : The LORD God put the man in the garden of Eden. He put him there to work its ground and take care of it.
Leviticus 25:1-3 : The LORD spoke to Moses on mount Sanai. He said "speak to the people of Israel. Tell them you will enter the land I am going to give you. When you do, you must honour me every seventh year by not farming the land that year."
Exodus 21:33-34 : "Suppose a man uncovers a pit or digs one and does not cover it. And suppose an ox or donkey falls into it. Then the owner of the pit must pay the animals owner for the loss. The dead animal will belong to the owner of the pit.
Exodus 22:6 : "Suppose a fire breaks out and spreads into bushes. It burns grain that has been cut and stacked. Or it burns grain that is still growing. Or it burns the whole field. Then the one that started the fire must pay for the loss."
These verses tell us that God rules over the earth and he is the owner not us! We are the stewards of it and we must look after the earth. It also tells us that when we destroy something we end up having to pay for it.
Genesis 2:15 : The LORD God put the man in the garden of Eden. He put him there to work its ground and take care of it.
Leviticus 25:1-3 : The LORD spoke to Moses on mount Sanai. He said "speak to the people of Israel. Tell them you will enter the land I am going to give you. When you do, you must honour me every seventh year by not farming the land that year."
Exodus 21:33-34 : "Suppose a man uncovers a pit or digs one and does not cover it. And suppose an ox or donkey falls into it. Then the owner of the pit must pay the animals owner for the loss. The dead animal will belong to the owner of the pit.
Exodus 22:6 : "Suppose a fire breaks out and spreads into bushes. It burns grain that has been cut and stacked. Or it burns grain that is still growing. Or it burns the whole field. Then the one that started the fire must pay for the loss."
These verses tell us that God rules over the earth and he is the owner not us! We are the stewards of it and we must look after the earth. It also tells us that when we destroy something we end up having to pay for it.