If you are a person who likes labels, the year 2009 has an unfortunate but obvious moniker: The Year of the Outburst.

What’s behind the increasing trend of rude public behavior?

An age of uncontrolled emotion

There have been many high-profile reports in recent months of people losing their tempers in a very public way:

• A significant number of “Town Hall” sessions where American congressional and senatorial representatives were to hear the views of their constituents on health care reform devolved into chaos as activists disrupted the proceedings.

• Tennis star Serena Williams exploded when a line judge called her for a foot fault during a match at the U.S. Open. She proceeded to curse and threaten the judge.

• American rapper Kanye West literally grabbed the headlines at the MTV Video Music Awards by snatching the microphone from country singer Taylor Swift, who was in the midst of accepting an award, in order to praise runner-up artist Beyoncé.

Are you surprised by these outbursts? Sadly, you probably aren’t.

Bad-mannered and disrespectful behavior such as this has been standard fare on some talk shows, sit-coms and late night segments for decades. Audiences revel in a good shouting match and laugh wildly at comedian-actors like Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell, who have literally perfected the art of the outburst.

This year, we are simply witnessing the further deterioration of a character attribute that is so crucial to our individual and collective success: self-control.

Rule your spirit

The common thread among the health care reform activists, Serena Williams, Kanye West and others was simply that things weren’t going their way.

We all tend to want to exert our own will to “change the tide” when we feel that things are headed in the wrong direction. But even if the use of rude behavior helps us get what we want, does that mean we are exhibiting some kind of personal strength?

The trouble with outbursts is that they call the legitimacy of the person into question and overshadow his or her message. But here is a vastly superior approach: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city” (Proverbs 16:32).

The surprising measure of true strength

Humanly, we tend to think of strength as external. We try to exercise strength over circumstances, events and other people. But truly, real strength is to have control over the things inside us.

The French Renaissance philosopher Michel de Montaigne said it well: “Not being able to govern events, I govern myself.”

Ruling over our own selves is more difficult and requires a much greater depth of character than controlling things outside us. That’ where true strength of characters lies.

History is littered with a long string of men and women who might have been truly great, but they lacked self-control. Those uncontrolled emotions made them ineffective at best, and destroyed them at worst.

Be a vertical thinker! Avoid the current trend of emotional outbursts. Instead, invest that emotional energy in learning and practicing the truly useful character trait of self-control.

For help with developing this vital characteristic, see the article “Self-Control: Governing Your Life by the Power of God.” VT

- About the Author –

David Cobb attends the Indianapolis, Indiana, congregation of the United Church of God with his wife Mandie and daughter HannahBeth.

It’s amazing how two songs about the same thing can be so drastically different.

The songs are “You Found Me,” a popular hit by The Fray and “Alive Again,” a rarely-heard single by Matt Maher. Each speaks passionately about the song writer’s experience of being found by God. Both are convicted in the beliefs they express.

But only one expresses any understanding of who God really is.

God found you?

In “You Found Me,” lead singer Isaac Slade sings:

Lying on the floor,
Surrounded, surrounded.
Why’d You have to wait?
Where were You? Where were You?
Just a little late,
You found me, You found me.

Slade later stated in an interview his reasons for writing the song. “If there is some kind of person in charge of this planet—are they sleeping? Smoking? Where are they? I just imagined running into God standing on a street corner like Bruce Springsteen, smoking a cigarette, and I’d have it out with Him.”

And that’s the overriding theme of the song: a man coming to God and demanding to know where He was throughout life’s various trials. Because God failed to provide the protagonist of “You Found Me” with the aid he felt entitled to, his final conclusion is that God was “just a little late.” (See our FAQ on why God doesn’t always seem to hear us.)

He found God

Contrast this with Matt Maher’s “Alive Again.” Maher comes from the same starting point of feeling distant from God, but goes in an entirely different direction. He sings:

You waited for me,
I searched for You.
What took me so long?

Maher does not blame God for not being there when he wanted Him to be. He instead holds himself accountable for taking so long to get to God. The chorus shouts:

You called and You shouted,
Broke through my deafness

and

You shattered my darkness,
Washed away my blindness.
Now I’m breathin’ in,
Breathin’ out;
I’m alive again.

Which song is right?

Of the two songs, the Fray’s “You Found Me” is far more popular. It is the mirror of a world that believes in an absentee God, who at His best is never on time in delivering the life His believers feel entitled to.

Maher’s “Alive Again” is a tribute to a God who “has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

When it comes down to it, “You Found Me” and “Alive Again” are about two entirely different Gods—one who is apathetic and incompetent, or one with a carefully crafted plan for mankind who knows what He’s doing.

Which do you believe in? VT

- About the Author –

Jeremy Lallier lives in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area where he recently graduated from the Ambassador Bible Center.

Fall is in the air, and in the United States that means it is football season. At the start of every Monday Night Football game fans are familiar with the question, “Are you ready for some football?!”

Non-American readers, I beg your indulgence because my point will also apply to what you call football and to other sports as well.

American football

American football passed baseball as America’s pastime long ago. For better or for worse it is part of the national culture. During the autumn, stadiums and couches will be full of spectators rooting for their team. Fans will weartheir team colors, fly their flags and agonize over each play.

I have to confess. I am included.

Football, though, is just a game with no long-term value. Which team wins or loses has no lasting importance. It is just entertainment, but since many of us watch football, we might as well learn something from it.

Advice from a famous coach

Legendary Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi said, “Football is like life—it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.”

Vince Lombardi was right. Look at teams that have sustained success. Any successful team at any level will show those characteristics.

Teams have to persevere through challenges during the season. Players keep themselves in peak physical condition through training, which demands dedication, hard work and self-denial. Successful teams buy into the coach’s vision and respect his authority.

Those same traits will serve us well in life. We have to persevere though the challenges we face. A truly successful life requires moderation and self-denial.

Any success worth having requires hard work and dedication.

And what about respect for authority? We won’t fulfill our ultimate potential if we are constantly at odds with authority figures.

Sports lesson from the Scripture?

Did you know that much of Vince Lombardi’s formula for success is found summed up in the Bible?

The apostle Paul wrote about a sporting event that he must have watched. He spoke of running in a race and competing for a crown. He stated that to compete for that prize, the contestants had to go into strict training. He also said he disciplined his body and kept it under subjection. You can read his famous words in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

Watch and learn

Paul wasn’t a professional boxer or runner. He was using the Isthmian Games that took place near the ancient Greek city of Corinth as an analogy to life. These games were similar to our Olympic games. Foot races, boxing and wrestling were just some of the events in the games. It was the great sporting event of that time. The Isthmian Games were as familiar to people then as football is to us now. It was as if Paul had said, “Football is like life.”

Paul told us to live life as if we were in training for a great event with a valuable prize for the winners. Winners at the Isthmian Games would get crowns of leaves, but Paul said he was competing for a crown much more valuable. It wouldn’t decay like leaves but would remain forever.

As we watch our football this season, let’s keep in mind that it is only a game, but one that teaches us some lessons. For another lesson on the value of sports, read “Creating Winning Habits.” This brings us back to our original question:

Are you ready for some football?! VT

- About the Author -

Enthusiastic sports fan Paul Hadley lives with his wife Karen in Columbus, Ohio, where they are active in the United Church of God congregation.

Why do we have to sit in these boring classes, listen to boring old people tell boring stories and learn about things that aren’t going to affect us on a daily basis once we’re finally out of this place?

The attitude of many seems to be that education is a burden. But why does school have to be so bad? Is it the teacher? The school? The material?

Every day in my college classes I sit next to students who often complain about how boring a class is or how horrible the teacher is to listen to. Yet these people chose these classes, these teachers and this school! Is school that bad or are students just lazy?

School = hard work

A simple Google search on “lazy students” brings up links like “how to be a lazy college student” and www.lazywaytobettergrades.com. Seriously?

Although I get the sarcasm in the text of these sites, I know there is a natural desire to take it easy. This may be tough to hear, but the truth is that education is supposed to be challenging!

Really learning well requires a willing ear and a hardworking spirit. We can make up excuses about why we don’t like a class or why we don’t want to read a textbook, but the bottom line is we can’t be lazy!

What kind of student are you?

Like nearly all recent U.S. presidents before him, President Obama spoke to an audience of students saying, “Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it.”

Because of the advice of the president of the United States, a few students just might pursue success. But vertical thinkers may be familiar with similar inspired words from a greater leader, the wisest man of his time, King Solomon: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might” (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

This principle of hard work is a critical value for all vertical thinkers!

Why take the easy way out by not turning in assignments on time, racing mindlessly through homework without really gaining anything from it or sitting in class like a lifeless blob staring at the clock? Why not follow the wise advice of doing everything with all of your might, effort and ability?

Tips for more powerful learning

Here are a few suggestions for the studious and mighty:

• Prepare yourself. Read the textbook and know the topic you’re learning about.

• Get involved. Active engagement in the class activities goes a long way to help information stick. Chances are the class might be a bit more interesting too…much more so than staring down the clock!

• Plan ahead. Monumental tasks don’t seem so impossible when you plan your time and break things down into easy steps. Make a list of assignments you need to complete and allow yourself plenty of time to finish them. This will relieve some stress and enable you to put more effort into each activity. (For more practical tips check out this list on ehow.com.)

Education is challenging, but with genuine hard work, your report card might read “top grades” this year.

But what about assessment on a higher level—a spiritual evaluation of personal effort? How can you strengthen your spiritual education? Read“Christian Through College” to learn more. VT

- About the Author -

Zach Smith is in his last year of study at Cleveland State University, where he is pursuing a bachelor of science degree in education.

I clung desperately to the neck of my horse as it rampaged down a steep hill! The left rein dangled freely inches beyond my outstretched hand…

The power and aggression within this beast came as a complete surprise. I never sensed it while I had the reins securely pulling on its neck. But as soon as that left rein slipped from my wrist, the horse recognized my lack of control and took complete advantage of my weakness.

The same can be true when we say good-bye to high school and approach the college or university atmosphere. The parental reins get dropped. Teenagers look forward to the typical college life: parties, late nights, freedom and new responsibilities. The choice we face at this turning point is to continue in the ways of our parents or to run wild like the horse I was riding.

Opportunities to run wild in college are easily found, especially in some of the most popular and prestigious colleges. It comes down to a true test of character to see if the upbringing that we’ve been subject to for about 18 years has had any lasting effect. As easily as we move out, we can choose to change our character and become a new “free” moral agent.

I was first able to experience independence during a two-week summer journalism workshop on a state-run college campus. I found that even though it was the summer session, the party life was ready to test the limits.

After my first year of college I decided to attend Ambassador Bible Center (ABC) this past fall. ABC provides an ideal situation to help maintain my faith. However, I’ve come to realize that the temptation to be social and forget sleep exists everywhere—regardless of where I attend school during the day. I learned that I need to exercise discipline or classes would simply pass by without my full attention.

While it might seem exciting to move out for the first time, the responsibilities often seem overwhelming if you haven’t prepared for the transition. Taking the time at home to develop solid character allows for a smoother, less drastic shift to higher education. Creating positive habits for school and setting guidelines for yourself are particularly important prior to being let loose on the world.

Positive habits can include establishing a defined spiritual life—having set times for prayer, study of the Scriptures and reflection. Although we might be physically moving out of our parents’ control, we still have a Father constantly with us who offers His guidance if we seek it.

The guidelines we set for ourselves are typically defined by our religious beliefs and moral standards. These are often engrained in us as children by our parents, but we must make the true standards our own. Nobody will be at college making sure we go to church, avoid evil or use correct judgment.

Being stable in our routines, growing in character and following the teachings of our parents before living on our own are not only beneficial for us but also pleasing to God. Building that foundation helps us to stand strong and rein ourselves in when circumstances entice us to try running wild.

Read more about how to maintain your values in college in “Christian Values Under Attack!” VT

- About the Author -

Whitney Smith is currently attending Ambassador Bible Center in Milford, Ohio.

“I’ll take oversized ego for $400, Alex.”

Answer: “These two recent acceptance speech spoilers displayed unfettered arrogance. The first grabbed the microphone from a winner at the MTV Music Video Awards; the second gave a self-indulgent speech at the Basketball Hall of Fame.”

“Umm, who are Kanye West and Michael Jordan?”

“Correct!”

Game show of life

I’ve always been a fan of the popular quiz show Jeopardy. I can imagine the above scenario unfolding based on the antics of those two individuals.

You probably saw the video or heard about it on Facebook. Just as country music singer Taylor Swift was about to give her acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards, the hip-hop artist Kanye West brazenly jumped onto the stage and uttered his now immortal words “Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you, and I’m [going to] let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!”

Michael Jordan, though not interrupted in his speech, garnered the wrong kind of attention when his Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech was more akin to settling scores than being gracious and appreciative. New York Time’s columnist David Brooks called MJ’s speech “egomaniacal and self-indulgent.” ESPN’s Rick Rielly labeled it “the Exxon Valdez of speeches. It was, by turns, rude, vindictive and flammable. And that was just when he was trying to be funny. It was tactless, egotistical and unbecoming. When it was done, nobody wanted to be like Mike.”

The “me generation”

I believe both of these incidents give telling glimpses inside the self-serving nature of our modern culture.

We can trace the history of such modern self-centeredness (sociologists call it “expressive individualism”) back to the cultural revolution of the 1960s. Journalist Tom Wolfe famously defined this period as the “me generation.” Virtues such as duty, sacrifice and a strong work ethic were replaced by self-absorbed values like moral relativism, more emphasis on physical pleasures and self-expressiveness.

These changes in Western societal values quickly spread and now are deeply imbedded in our thinking, from the entertainment industry to sports, business, school and sadly even some churches. It seems we in the wealthy industrialized nations are in no hurry to get rid of “me” as the center of all things.

If not me, who?

Our Creator, however, never intended it to be this way. He designed us to seekHim first and foremost. Such a dramatic personal turnaround leads to an attitude that esteems others better than self. That’s a major shift from the predominant view today.

The Bible calls this jeopardized attribute “humility.” James, a leader in the early Church, set it straight: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10).

True personal worth

This is not to say the individual has no worth. On the contrary, God knows and loves each of us on a very personal level. It is simply not our place to prop up or exalt our own self-importance. Let God take care of that detail.

Focus instead on how you can serve Him and others! This exemplifies God’s way of “give” versus the world’s way of “get.” You can learn more by reading“Building a Better Relationship with God.”

Humility may be in jeopardy today, but you and I can know the answer to the “Final Jeopardy” question. Cue Alex Trebek:

Answer: “When humility will gain its rightful place in society.”

“What is the Kingdom of God on earth?”

“Correct!”

VT

- About the Author -

Hansel New and his wife Rachelle live with their two young children near Eugene, Oregon, where they attend the United Church of God.

Sometimes you learn from others and sometimes you learn from experience.

A few days ago I walked a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) road race. Finishing where I thought I would, perhaps a little ahead, I was pleased with the outcome. It was a beautiful, sunny autumn day and the crowd was in a positive mood.

There’s more to the story. Walking that far at a good clip isn’t something I would have seen myself doing six years ago when I began a battle with chronic fatigue. Getting up off the sofa was a big achievement, but as the saying goes—time heals. Learning patience, however, is another challenge!

Plan ahead

Training for this race took me six years, but the “official” training required a 10-week schedule of walking at increasing length and speed. Goals and good intentions are great, but training and planning make things happen.

Because I had logged my training hours, I was able to push myself to achieve more than my initial goal for the race, which was simply to finish. I kept up a pace and improved my personal minutes per mile—having several thousand people in the competition helped too!

It made me realize that we require interaction and positive challenges to improve ourselves. That’s why God has allowed so many of us to inhabit the planet! He could have had us live our lives one person at a time, kind of like being stranded on a deserted island waiting to be rescued, but what fun would that be?

Don’t cheat

On the other hand, people can be peculiar. At the start of the race the officials reminded all competitors that this was a walking race—no running! The top finishers were speed walkers, and according to observers some clocked 8-minute miles simply by walking with good form! Some were also working toward Olympic goals.

Most of us were competing against ourselves in order to improve our times. The crowd was large enough that we couldn’t all start at once. Since we each had a computer chip clipped to our shoes, our times began when we crossed the starting line.

However, mid-race more than a few individuals felt the urge to run (in this case a disqualifying offense). The message on the shirt of one fellow competitor said,Why run slow when you can walk really fast? I had to ask myself—what’s the point of running when you’ve knowingly entered a walking race and are merely trying to better your own time? My guess: pride.

Learn well

In the book of Ecclesiastes the author spoke of the race not being to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. It’s true! Not everything goes according to how we perceive it should. On the other hand, the apostle Paul wrote of running (or walking, as the case may be) a race in such a way so as to win—the ultimate goal being not just a temporary victory, but becoming a part of God’s eternal family.

Our athletic ventures aren’t the epicenter of our lives, but some of the lessons we learn along the way can illustrate the dedication it takes to achieve a far greater goal, an existence in the ultimate prize—the Kingdom of God! Read more about this in the article “Courageous Olympic Moments—and the Race We Run.” VT

- About the Author -

Amanda Stiver lives near Columbus, Ohio, where she works as a freelance writer and editor and serves on the Vertical Thought staff.

For years, we figured we understood the universe.

Release something in midair; it falls to the ground. Drop something buoyant enough into the water; it floats. Put something close enough to a massive ball of flame; gravity sucks it in and charbroils it to the consistency of a briquette.

Simple stuff—so we thought.

Atypical planet

But WASP-18b, a planet that whips around its sun in the equivalent of one earth day, has scientists scratching their heads.

The problem isn’t the planet’s incredibly short orbit as much as our current understanding of physics, which dictates that any planet as close to its sun as WASP-18b should have been sucked in and burnt up ages ago. Yet it continues its dizzying revolutions in spite of all our painstakingly formulated concepts of how the universe is supposed to work.

The continued existence of WASP-18b tells us is that our theory of how and when planets formed may be flawed—or our information is incomplete. “Perhaps we really are missing some key bit of physics,” wrote Douglas P. Hamilton, an astronomer at the University of Maryland, in a commentary accompanying the report in the journal Nature.

By watching what many are calling “a planet that shouldn’t exist,” scientists hope to figure out just what exactly the flaw is.

Science misunderstood

This isn’t the first time something like this has happened, though. Our human race boasts a long and impressive history of drastic course corrections in our continuing quest to understand the universe around us.

Not long ago we were certain that living beings were constantly growing out of inanimate objects—mice out of dirty hay, maggots out of leftover meat, worms out of cheese and so on. Once we had no doubt that the whole of the cosmos rotated around the earth. And we were absolutely positive that the world was flat.

We’re forced to conclude that, although man’s ability to observe the universe continues to grow more and more advanced, his understanding of it remains perpetually incomplete. There is, however, a Being who understands the universe perfectly—the same Being who crafted it by hand.

A mindful God

A young sky-watching shepherd, grown into the great King David, wrote in awe about God’s creation in the Psalms. He asked the Creator, “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?” (Psalm 8:3-4).

Good question. Why does the Creator of a universe so bafflingly complex that its inhabitants still struggle to understand it pay any attention at all to mankind?

Why and want?

The simple answer is that He cares. He created humanity with the desire to incorporate us into His own family, and He has been actively working toward that goal to this very day. To learn more, see “Why Were You Born?“

The apostle Paul writes of God’s unfailing love in his letter to the Romans, where he says, “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

The God who created the universe wants to create a profound and personal relationship with you. The question to ask yourself: Do I want it? VT

- About the Author -

Jeremy Lallier lives in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area where he recently graduated from the Ambassador Bible Center.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s world-changing work on evolutionary biology, The Origin of Species. Darwin spent years developing his theory of evolution—traveling the world, studying different animal species and writing down his thoughts and observations.

A theory of flaws

During the sesquicentennial of his book I find it curious to note the lack of cheerleading of this anniversary within the scientific community.

Darwin himself could never have imagined how much The Origin of Species would change the thinking in virtually every branch of science and field of human study. He would likely have been deeply saddened see how his theory was used by Hitler, Stalin and too many others as justification to kill so many people.

While the premise of Darwin’s work has been accepted and built upon, many also recognize the dramatic flaws in his original theories and have sought to refine or rewrite them.

Non-evolution of species

Yet evolutionists still struggle to explain how eyes developed within species. They dogmatically talk in absolute terms about how it came to be, but they really can’t explain how something so complex simply “appeared” in organisms.

Likewise fossil discoveries such as the Burgess Shale site in the Canadian Rockies have expanded the understanding of paleontologists. Yet they still can’t explain the sudden burst of life during the Cambrian period, sometimes called “the Cambrian explosion.” Read the details in “What Does the Fossil Record Show?”

Evolutionists “ooh” and “ah” over their discoveries, but they still lack a workable explanation of how life began, why life began and how the diversity of life became so great through the theory of evolution.

The dirty little secret

Evolution ceased to be the work of a handful of individuals 150 years ago and began to push its way into nearly every aspect of modern thinking. Try standing up to question the teachings of evolution, especially in the academic world, and you will quickly be marginalized.

Most in the scientific community dismiss a belief in a Creator or even in intelligent design. But the dirty little secret is that many of the early adherents, and even more of the modern proponents of evolution, admit in their writings that they were—or, are—looking for an explanation of life that would do away with a belief in and obedience to God.

How do you suppose God reacts to such rejection?

Because evolutionists (and even those who tacitly believe in evolution) have rejected God, He is letting them experience the results of rejecting the knowledge of Him as Creator and of His way of life. Pick up your Bible and read God’s dramatic denouncement of evolutionary thinking and acting in the book called Romans, chapter 1 from verse 18 to the end.

Your response to Mr. Darwin

It may be counterproductive to always challenge the teachers of evolution, but we need to know why what they teach is wrong. We need to be able to defend a belief in the Creator God.

Can you do that? I don’t mean that we must develop expertise enough to write a book. But when asked, can we give straightforward answers that cut directly to the indefensible weaknesses of the theory of evolution?

Starting with the above-mentioned chapter on the fossil record, let me encourage you to begin to learn evolution’s many weaknesses. Read in your Bible about God and about the creation of the universe and of human life.

Lay the evolution of Darwin to rest after 150 years of The Origin of Species, and begin your search for the origin of truth! VT

- About the Author -

Dan Dowd and his wife Roxanne and two children live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he pastors the local congregation of the United Church of God.

When you sit down for a nice juicy hamburger, do you ever think about where the ground beef patty came from that sits garnished between two sesame seed buns?

Most of us are so detached from farm life that we don’t think too much about where our food comes from. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, less than 2 percent of the U.S. population now farms or ranches full-time for a living.

A balanced meal?

I recently watched the new documentary Food, Inc. The film’s creators claim the movie “lifts the veil on the nation’s food industry, exposing its highly mechanized underbelly.” And they’re betting that you won’t like what you see.

One topic the movie takes aim at is the U.S. meat processing industry.

It shows some disturbing images of animal abuse, including both the conditions in which the animals are raised and how they are treated when being brought to slaughter. Next the movie focuses on a small farm in rural Virginia as a more idyllic atmosphere for the animals.

Is small and rural necessarily better? I grew up in rural Eastern Oregon, and I can say that this is not always the case.

Location vs. attitude

Though a change in location and the way market animals are fed may help, the movie does not directly address one underlying issue: Animal husbandry—the act of caring for livestock—is more about attitude and heart than location and food. “Good people take care of their animals, but even the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel” (Proverbs 12:10, New Century Version). This applies whether we care for 10 head of cattle or 10,000.

Dr. Temple Grandin, a leading animal welfare expert, put it this way: “The single most important determinant of good animal welfare in a slaughter plant is the attitude of management.” People must care.

When God made all things, He placed humans who were made in the divine image at the top and gave them dominion over all things. In other words, God expects people to act and behave in a proper way toward the rest of creation—to be good stewards of what was put in our trust.

The rest of the story

Did you know that God’s care for animals is even evident in His weekly day of rest for mankind? Remarkably, a restatement of the Sabbath commandment (one of the Ten) says, “Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest” (Exodus 23:12). To learn more about this amazing day, read “What Does the Bible Say About…the Sabbath Day?”

Wouldn’t it be so much better if people treated livestock the way God intended? We can change some things as consumers, but the true fulfillment of this vision must wait until the Kingdom of God is established—right here on the earth! Chew on that the next time you have a hamburger. VT

- About the Author -

Hansel New attends the United Church of God with his wife Rachelle and their two young children in the Eugene, Oregon, area—where he also works in the food products industry.