God made man, and then God put him in a special place He had created just for him. God planted a garden, a paradise in a perfect world, and it was here that He placed the man. God's plan and desire was for man to spend his life in the garden, Eden was the plan, a beautiful place on earth created specifically for man.
God's plan was always for man to work, the garden needed tending, but the work God gave man to do would be fulfilling, rewarding, and it would abundantly provide for his needs. God's plan was never for man to spend his time lazily lounging around, nor was it for him to endlessly toil reaping nothing for his labor. God's garden would allow man to work, caring for creation, and serving for a launching station as man set about making the rest of the world like Eden. It would provide for his needs, and allow him to rest after a hard days work.
God worked for six days and then then rested. Each day was fulfilling and rewarding, and at the end of each day, the work was declared good. The seventh day was a day of rest, a day to enjoy the beauty of creation, looking with satisfaction at the work accomplished over the past week. This was the model that God set for man, and then He gave him a place to begin following the example he had been given.
One of my favorite quotes is from the movie Kingdom of Heaven, "What man is a man who does not make the world better?" If a man is not working to leave the world better than he found it, what kind of man is he? If his life is not spent in a worthy cause, serving someone greater than himself, living for a purpose much bigger than personal comfort and achievement, what kind of man is he?
When I leave this world, I want to know that I did everything I could to make it a better place than it was when I arrived. I used to think that meant I had to do something on a Billy Graham level, speaking to packed stadiums, reaching millions, but I've realized that that isn't what God has in mind for me to do, and honestly, I'm glad. Over the past few years God has been leading me to self-discovery, helping me understand what my role is in building His Kingdom, and I'm looking forward to being able to more fully embrace that role throughout the rest of my life. I want to be a man who makes the world better.
God has a role for us, a role that will not be done aimlessly or fruitlessly. Let us embrace this, working diligently, taking time to rest, and leaving the world a little more like Eden when we leave it.
Fight the lion 1 Peter 5.1-11
TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!
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