Creation Chapter 2

I appreciate Planinga’s insight on creation. I found it made me marvel at the absolute greatness that God Himself displayed through creation. He did not need to create, nor did He need anything to create with. He created for His own pleasure, and yet He loves us infinitely. As an artist puts himself in every work he creates, God puts evidence of Himself throughout creation. Planninga points out that creation is the general revelation to all men of Himself. It was a way for God to spend Himself creatively.
Creation also has some implications for us Planinga states. We have been given a position of authority in Creation. But as we act on this authority, it is imperative that we remember we must imitate God. We must be stewards over creation, but also imitate God in the way He loves it. A part of our position in creation that is many times overlooked is the fact that we must learn from it. A great overseer is one who truly knows that which he is overseeing. However, because of the vastness of creation, we can never really come to a full understanding of it. We do have the responsibility to try though. In all of this exploration of creation, we also will be learning more and more about the Creator himself. When we explore creation we will see the various ways in which God is glorified through it. Through learning and caring for creation, we can really grow in our relationship with God.
Planninga also addressed the idea that God was glorified through Christ in the act of spending Himself that others might flourish. I really appreciated that thought. It is so important that our actions also bring glory to God. We must try, in our imperfect way, to imitate this trait. Let God use us that we may cause others to flourish and therefore give glory to God.