Ah, the pinnacle of creation - man, and of course the finishing touch - woman. God created all of nature and decided on his final day of laborious work to form the human. It is unlike any other creation. It has strength and wisdom imparted from the Creator, yet it has fragility and delicacy also designed by the Almighty. And each one is so extremely different - even those whom are related and better yet, identical - something is distinctly different. Merriam-Webster defines the word human as susceptible to or representative of the sympathies and frailties of human nature. So even our scholarly world takes notice of the frailty and emotion that goes with the design.
Humans were not designed to simply evolve and coexist with the rest of creation (yes, I said evolve…more on that later). Humans were designed to dominate and rule the rest of creation with authority and power. Humans were designed to react to AND with creation as the world changes and ebbs and flows through progression and digression. Humans were designed to SURVIVE and to analyze, judge and decipher so that the best possible outcome can occur. Humans were designed to be plural meaning they were not meant to be alone or reclusive denying themselves the indulgence of relationships (yes, that too is plural). Humans were designed to disagree. Humans were designed to express emotion, and not just crying. Humans were designed to fear. Humans were designed to fight. Humans were designed to celebrate. Humans were designed to WORK. Humans were designed to rest. Humans were designed to be present.
Currently, I am reading through Isaiah and am in the great elongated prophecy of the detriment of the pinnacle of creation. Isaiah speaks of how the freedom and power given to the ultimate created being is abused, neglected, and thwarted. You see, man was created to desire a relationship. However, God grants us the freedom of where to focus that desire. His desire is for our desire to be Him. Yet, as we interact with His creation, our eyes become like that of a child in a candy store, or a grown man at the Bass Pro Shop. We see things that we wish to rule over. We see things with which we wish to establish relationships. We see things we desire to use for our benefit. We see things that threaten us. We see things that rise up envy.
God allows us to see all of His created glory – all of it. Right now, at this point in history, we can see farther into outer space than ever before – that is farther out into the creation resting in the palm of His hand. We can see deeper into the structure of the millions of cells that make up the inside of the pinnacle of creation. Grasp that! He has allowed man to peak behind the curtain of SELF. AND He has allowed man the material, wisdom, and ingenuity to pursue ways to combat flaws in His creation through research and modern medicine. God has allowed us to see the highest mountains and the deepest seas. God has allowed us to discover the numerous plants and animals that inhabit different regions of the earth and to understand the extinction of some and danger of others because of the ever evolving climates and territorial shifts. Even in my own yard, there are about 13 different blades of grass. GRASS, for crying out loud! He made it all and allows it to all exist and react to one another as He allows us to do the same.
We can learn so much from the rest of creation. For instance, when there is an absence of water – a drought – in an area, what happens? Plants die. Animals migrate or leave or die. And healing must take place before the land is restored to its original state; and sometimes it never is. A hungry predator moves into a region and destroys a population. The rest of the population both remains and endures the fear or it fleas forced to live somewhere that is unknown. An egg hatches and the hatchling struggles to emerge from the protective shell. If the struggle is prevented and assistance is given, than the hatchling is without the proper strength needed for survival.
Humans look at each other with covetous eyes and want. Humans look at a land or an area and decide that it is in “need” of their ruling authority. Humans determine relationships based on how that relationship will benefit their wellbeing, not a reciprocal nature. Humans neglect all other gifts and awareness of need in order to satisfy immediate desire. Humans fear being ruled and overpowered, so they fight to the detriment out of jealousy and insecurity. Humans detest loneliness and force relationships or pretend they need no one only to physically deteriorate. Like the area ridden with drought, your life can be lifeless without proper nourishment (spiritual, physical, mental, AND emotional). Like Scar and the Hyenas in the Lion King, if you find yourself too greedy and satisfying your desires to gluttonous levels, you will run out of necessities too soon. Like the hatchling, if you make life too easy, than you find yourself in situations where you are at the mercy of others and can be easily abused.
Isaiah spoke to the children of Israel giving them warning about their abuse of human freedom and where it was leading them. The prophecy that Isaiah delivers is one that does find itself fulfilled. However, I foresee this prophecy being fulfilled more than once. Each time I watch the news, or just people watch in public, I find myself wincing at decisions that are being made or the evidence of a previous decision made that is an exercise of the human freedom being abused. God allows it to compound itself for a duration of time before destruction and punishment and repentance and restoration occurs. I wince as I wait for the final straw and the smack down to begin. I wince as I know that every action I make in reaction to the rest of creation is so vital to assisting Him in redirecting His people back into His arms. I wince as I catch myself in covetous behaviors. I wince as I find realization of comparison and desire to be above the norm. I wince a lot.
Are you the pinnacle of creation? When others see you, do they find themselves keenly aware of who they are and where they can be in life with peace and contentment? Will others follow your leadership to a life established first in the greatest relationship? Or do they wish to compete with you? Do they wish to give or take? Work or be lazy? Love or hate?
What kind of human are you?
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