DO WE HAVE THE EYES TO SEE - PART 4b

The question I want to tackle in this section is this:

What inherent resources do humans have?

I typed into Google this question: what is the most important resource in the world?  As to be expected the cyber world provided a wide array of answers.  There were a few somewhat obvious answers like, water, gold, soil, and the sun.  I can’t argue with any of the resources in that group, those are definitely important.  There were a few not so obvious answers like, language, knowledge and salt; and of course there were a few interesting answers like, chocolate, tequila and whales.  I like chocolate, but I think I can live a few days without it, unlike water.  One website mentioned that the most important resource in the world was children.  Now that’s not so bad.  I think it is a good answer and unquestionably much closer to what the real answer is. 

However, to no one’s surprise the very first link and the most common answer to this question was undoubtedly oil or petroleum.  Our world is consumed with oil.  It made me stop and think for a moment….  what would the answer have been 400 hundred years ago… long before petroleum was of any use?  Does our answer to this question change every century?  Should it?  Should our answer be something that is so apparently temporary? 

I like this quote by Michael Novak, Catholic Theologian and Economist:

“Countless parts of God’s creation lay fallow for millenia until human intelligence saw value in them.  Many of the things we today describe as resources were not known to be resources a hundred years ago.  Many of those which may come to be of value still lie fallow today.”

What will the Internet say in 100 years?  Lithium?  Asteroid dust?  Kangaroos?  Until we realize that man and woman, made in the image of the creator God, is the most important, critical, essential and indispensible resource that has ever existed on earth then we will only be chasing a dead end trail.  Sure, we need many of the things mentioned on those lists to survive and thrive but are they the most important?  I think not. 

What we can do by our unassisted strength is very small.  What we can do acting with mechanical, electrical or atomic power is much greater…. But what we can do with these means is still very small compared to what we could do acting in union with God Himself, who created and ultimately controls all forces and aspects of creation.  Friends, when we Be who God designed us to Be (engineers, artists, carpenters, poets, and farmers) we produce development!  When we take what God has so graciously given us, use our creativity and intelligence to fashion, form and mold it, this “stuff” turns into beautiful art, life changing medicine, or energy creating technology.  It is not the “stuff” or material resource that is most important, rather it is the mind, heart, and creativity of Man, made in God ‘s image, acting according to God’s principles, creating and developing with stewardship and in obedience to God’s will that is most important.  Man and woman is the most important resource on this earth, and we mustn’t forget what a privilege life is.

How does this realization impact our development strategies?  If you recognize the potential in something shouldn’t you steward it and utilize it to garner it’s maximum potential?  The answer is yes!  We should, and that is why development strategies that aim to empower and develop the potential in every single human life will ultimately produce far greater and far more effective development. 

The individual is not born empty, but is born filled with potential. When a culture believes that a person is empty, then they assume that the individual has nothing to contribute to the development process. When a culture believes that an individual is filled with potential, then it will educate the person and order the society to bring out all the potential for the development of the community and the building of the nation.

“For you formed my inward parts;
 you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made”

Psalms 139:13-14

What inherent resources do humans have?  More than one could ever image.  Our physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual skills and gifts are immeasurable.  Every single person created in God’s image is like a cornucopia of potential ready to be used to further develop society and bring development to every facet of culture and kingdom. 

So, the question remains:  Do We Have The Eyes To See???

We will conclude this series “Do We Have The Eyes To See?” with one final section that will bring together all of the thoughts I have submitted in this series and address the question: How should these concepts frame our biblical perspective on resources?