Genesis contains so much: Creation of the earth, mankind, animals, fish, birds, seeds and herbs for nutrition and healing. God created everything we could possibly need to sustain us in the beginning.
Genesis 1:26-29, 31 (KJV)
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. … 31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
But the world we live in today is much different than that world of perfection. It has been adulterated by sin… more specifically, greed.
As a result of Adam and Eve’s sin, death was introduced to creation. It’s a fact of life… sooner or later we will all die. The question we should ask ourselves is this: Do we hasten our own death with poor nutrition and poor stewardship of the earth’s resources that the Lord so freely gave? And as a result, do we become hindered or useless witnesses for the gospel of Christ? Why should we limit our ability to be a light shining for Jesus with food and medicines that can poison this temple?
1 Cor 6:19-20 (KJV)
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
We need to be good stewards of all the Lord has given us: His creation, the earth and the bounty it can produce, as well as our bodies. I believe we are unwittingly injuring ourselves from the inside out, disabling or ending our lives early. Diseases like rampant cancers, heart disease, diabetes, and many other chronic conditions and health problems abound. We should be asking ourselves how much more affective the Lord’s people would be if we weren’t being continually dulled by physical ailments, disease or chronic pain.
Another consideration… How much more could we give to His service if we were not pouring our resources into prescription drugs that often do more harm than good, or simply cause yet another condition that docs refer to as unpleasant side effects, but require yet another expensive drug?
It is a commonly accepted practice to use pesticides, herbicides, as well as genetic engineering to create more produce. Food producers use chemicals to increase production and thereby profit.1,2,3 Rare is it to find meats that have not been directly or indirectly affected by antibiotics and growth hormones. Even the commercial milk supply is tainted with antibiotics and growth hormones, e.g. recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) or bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in order to increase milk production to levels higher than any cow would be able to produce in a natural setting. 4,5 Consider this… rBST and rBGH are in the milk which our children are drinking. It is imperative that we ask ourselves, “How is it affecting their growth and development?” Opponents to the practice have argued that it exposes children to faster development and higher susceptibility to diseases.6,7,8,9
Why do the big food corporations do this? In my humble opinion, the answer is obviously FTMH (Follow The Money, Honey!). The cheaper and more abundant the resources, the higher their profits soar. It’s very simple when you think about it. Do you think they are really interested in your or your children’s health? Or is their biggest concern their bottom line…
We are made in God’s image (Gen 1:26). He also gave us a built-in inner conviction and warning system called our conscience. What is your conscience screaming out to you now that you hold this information in your hands, and are you going to listen? Is it biblical living on our part to knowingly accept nourishment from something that can hardly be nourishing to our bodies, but is actually harming us? I firmly believe we as a nation are being physically disabled, albeit slowly, through the commercial food supply. It would follow that this problem is also causing Christians to be less effective for Christ and His gospel.
As upsetting as these things are when our eyes have been opened, please remember that all judgment belongs to God. We should be in prayer for those in leadership positions at the corporations who are responsible for the nation’s food supply and what they are doing to it. Realize that the Lord will not hold harmless those responsible for disabling His people for their own monetary gain.
Romans 12:19 (KJV)
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
In the meantime, you are probably asking yourself, “What can I do?” Easy! Start purchasing organic foods and naturally-made products whenever possible. The law of supply and demand will always prevail in a capitalist society. The more demand there is for organic foods and natural products, obviously more food companies will move (as many already have) toward healthy, organic, sustainable farming and food production. You can also find local organic grocers and natural, healthy product producers. Seek local farmers, food co-ops, and merchants whose goal in life is to provide safe, quality products for you and your family.
Do all that you can to make or keep yourself healthy and productive for Christ. Go in health and preach the gospel!
Matthew 9:37 (KJV)
Then saith He unto His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few
References:
1. http://organicconsumers.org/organic/organics101.cfm
2. http://www.naturalnews.com/021827.html
3. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8098965482866581381&q=future+of+food&total=2050&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0
4. http://www.organicconsumers.org/rBGH/rbghlist.cfm;
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_somatotropin
6. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/bgh.htm
7. http://www.preventcancer.com/press/editorials/march20_94.htm
8. http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/milk.htm
9. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_11149.cfm
© Lily Burdock 03/28/2008
