Pagulo ng pagulo ang mundo, noh? There are wars and rumors of wars, and then there are earthquakes and famines also. The earth's temperature is getting hotter, while the storms are becoming stronger. Tapos, andyan ang problem ng illegal drugs and the alarming increase of HIV infections across the globe. Are these the signs that the end is near? Or, are they just the results of our negligence as stewards of the Lord?
Psalm 8:3-6 says, "[3] When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers...; [4] What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? [5] Yet You have made him a little lower than God, ...[6] You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
God created man to rule over the world, and not be ruled by it. Do you know that the Hebrew word for "rule over", which is radah, has the same meaning as the Greek word for "to serve", which is diakoneo? In Matthew 20:26 Jesus said, "...whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant." The Hebrew word radah and the Greek word diakoneo both means to take care of the things entrusted to you.
I believe the reason why the world is in so much trouble is because we have neglected our responsibility for the Lord. You will find that the issues I mentioned above (wars, famine, hot temperature, strong typhoons, illegal substances, and HIV), are consequences of man's greed and our indifference. The only things we have no control over are earthquakes. The reason why the temperature is hotter and the storms are stronger is because we do not have enough trees and vegetations to regulate the weather, kasi pinutol natin sila. I believe this is one of the reasons why people are experiencing famine around the world.
But many have given up on this world because they believe that it is evil and that Satan is the one ruling over the earth. But how can the earth be evil when Psalm 24:1 says it belongs to the Lord. And how can the devil be in control when John 3:35 says, "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand."
However, man created a world that rejected the Lord. This is the world that Satan rules over, and it was the kingdom he offered Jesus when Jesus was fasting in the wilderness. We become part of this world when we sin against God, and when we do this we make Satan king over our lives.
Jesus came to save us from our sins, that He may redeem us from this world and restore us to our position as steward of His creation. So instead of asking God to save us from this world, we should ask God to help us to take care of it for Him. But is it possible to reverse the mistakes of those who have gone before us?
Today, we have an example in Yorme Isko of Manila. He did not allow the evil around him to rule over him, instead, he took good care of his world and made it a better place for people to live in. He took one of the most dangerous and dirtiest cities in the Philippines and transformed it into a safer haven, by putting God first and by ruling over with His justice.
I wish we will do the same in 2020. I hope we will make a stand for the Lord and show people that if we live according to His ways we can make this world a better place to live in. May you all take your rightful position as stewards of the Lord in 2020, so that we can create a fruitful world for our children, and their children's children, to live in!
