Our highest pursuit

I've been converted. I am now an extreme environmentalist.

I don't think we should just strive to conserve resources and maintain current levels of pollution or damage to our planet. We should be working to return the Earth to its original state before man damaged it.

Of course this will never happen until Jesus returns. The Earth is damaged due to the Curse of Sin; it is impossible for the damage to be reversed until the Curse is lifted. Thankfully in Revelation it says that God will destroy the current Earth and a New Earth will be created, this one to be pure and undefiled as the current Earth once was, and to be our eternal dwelling place with God after the New Jerusalem comes down to rest on the New Earth.

Now don't get me wrong - I do believe that we should take care of this Earth. I know I started this post a bit tongue in check, but I am not slamming those who choose to focus their efforts on protecting the environment. After all, God appointed us as its stewards. It is a sorry steward that deliberately or even carelessly lets the item in their responsibility become damaged or through their own actions lessens the value of that item.

But as with everything else, the most important task set before us is to reach the world for Christ. It is not to influence the government, or to eliminate abortion, or to bring prayer back to schools, or to protect the environment, or to bring social justice to the world around us. It is only after He returns that all injustice will be set right, and all wrongdoers will be punished (and stopped), and all people will do the right things. And also only then will the Earth will be renewed.

There is nothing wrong with any of those pursuits I mentioned, or others that we strive for. Many of them are valid, and some may even be things that God calls individuals to do. But we cannot lose our focus of the world above.

Our constant pursuit above all else should be last words of Jesus: preach the word and make disciples. Our constant cry should be the cry at the end of Revelation: "Come quickly Lord Jesus".