By Adrienne Greene
Q:
Dear Pastor,
If God is omnipotent (all-powerful), why did he take six days to create everything? Why not speak everything into existence all at once?
A:
The short answer: Because that’s how he decided to do it! God is very sure of himself and not under pressure to prove to people that he is omnipotent. His way of doing things is not how we would do it (Isaiah 55:9) and most often unexpected. This is because we were created by Jesus, according to the Book of John chapter one. He thought us up, formed us in his hands and breathed us into life. His brain works in ways we cannot fathom because our brains were crafted by him. There is a higher mind above ours, in other words, with higher intelligence and thought. Scientists call the Bible’s creation story “intelligent design.”
The theory of intelligent design holds that certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection (www.intelligentdesign.org.) Christians celebrate God’s creative process as a planned, strategic system and do not accept the flawed theory of evolving beings via Darwin’s best guess. An ape is an ape; a human a human; a bird a bird…as God created them to be from their moment of their conception.
That said, our God is a good father. Good fathers show us how to live. They guide us in ways which give us health, happiness, wisdom and security. They instill responsibility into our lives. A Godly father brings order into the chaos of the world. The creation story is no different in terms of Father-God demonstrating to his children how to successfully make things—since after all, we are made in his image and are empowered by him to create as well. We create things like art, communities, recipes and baby humans. Contrary to what some proclaim, “I’m not crafty” or “I’m not a creative person,” our God-formed DNA says otherwise and we do it all the time. Each person produces a contribution to the earth in their unique and special way.
God made the world using an orderly process of six days. First, their came the light into darkness with alternating cycles: day one. Then, God separated the waters of the earth from the land: day two. He crafted the trees, shrubs and all vegetation: day three. God set the sun, moon and stars in place: day four. On the fifth day, God created all the animals of the land, sea and air. Finally, he breathed into the dust and humans came alive: day six. Then he rested for a whole day on the Sabbath: the seventh day. (I emphasize the “whole day” because not many of us give ourselves this important day-long period of restoration. A half day doesn’t do it, as God clearly illustrated.)
The Lord our God could have easily fashioned everything all at once, but God is not in a hurry like we are. He savors, he enjoys and he ponders the beauty of his creation and all that is within it. The revealing and activity of “process” delighted him as he intentionally created all things.
God chose to make the world in six days because he wanted us to grasp the idea that there is no need to do everything all at once. It is perfectly alright to create things in stages; wonderfully God-like to go slowly through life’s seasons, enjoying the journey. Further, we must also appreciate our endings and accomplishments. When God was finished with what he had made, he rested, looking over his handiwork with deep satisfaction and pleasure. He’s asking us now to slow down, appreciate more and honor the process of life. It is Christ-like to do so.
Do you have a question or comment for Pastor Adrienne? Send your inquiries to: info@adriennewgreene.com or write to P.O. Box 214, Harrison, OH 45030. For more information, please visit www.adriennewgreene.com or tune into the “Ask Pastor Adrienne” YouTube channel.