And God Saw That It Was Good – The Beauty in Differences

My seven-year-old son loves to draw. And he’s really good at it too!

(I know I’m a tad biased, but I honestly believe he has talent. Of course, it’s possible I think that because of how much I completely lack artistic ability when it comes to drawing!)

Lately, though, I’ve noticed that he gets frustrated easily when drawing new things. If it’s not what he considers “perfect,” he writes a giant X on the paper and throws it in the garbage.

A couple of days ago, I walked into the kitchen while my husband was trying to explain to him that things in nature aren’t supposed to look “perfect.” Each tree isn’t supposed to be exactly the same as the last. Each bird isn’t supposed to be identical to another bird of its kind.

In nature, the differences are what make it so beautiful.

I think that’s part of the reason God seemed to have so much fun in creation. He knew that the differences in nature would make it beautiful, so he had fun creating silly-looking birds, fish, and animals.

(Seriously, some of the animals God created are hilarious. Check out this post to view pictures of some of the weirdest looking animals you’ll ever see!)

God didn’t make all the creatures look similar to one another. He could have created much less variety, but He didn’t!

All this month here at Do Not Depart, we’re studying the Creation account. Here’s a little review in case you’ve forgotten or missed a post or two.

7 Days of Creation:

1. Day 1: Light
2. Day 2: Sky
3. Day 3: Land and Seas/Vegetation
4. Day 4: Sun, Moon, and Stars
5. Day 5: Fish and Birds (what we’re focusing on today)
6. Day 6: Animals and People
7. Day 7: Rest

Let’s look at Genesis 1:20-23: “And God said, ‘Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.’ So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.” (ESV) 

I love the ESV translation of that first part: “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures.”

God didn’t create just one fish and call it good. He created TONS of fish!

“And God saw that it was good.”

The differences God made in nature are good. So are the differences God made in us. 

God didn’t intend for us to all possess the same creative ability.

How boring would our world be if everyone was able to draw in exactly the same way…or write in the same way…or make music in the same way…or take photographs in the same way?

The differences among us are what make this world beautiful. 

So instead of wishing you had the gift of someone else or feeling bad about yourself because you can’t do what a friend is able to do, thank the Lord for the variety.

1 Corinthians 12:15-20 says this: “If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.  If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.” 

The fact that we are all different isn’t a bad thing at all. Instead, it is what makes the body of Christ function well. 

Let’s celebrate our differences today! What is one way God has gifted you? 

Additional Study Steps:

1. Google “bird images” and “fish images” and look at some of the neat creatures God created. Also click on the link I shared above about funny-looking animals. Which one is your favorite?
2. What are some of the ways God has gifted you? How has He gifted some of the people you know? Why is it good that we are not all gifted in the same way?
3. Read Psalm 96:11-12 and Romans 1:20. In what ways do God’s creation worship Him? How can you join in their song this week?
4. Read Psalm 104:24-25. List as many things as you can think of that God created. (Grab a large piece of paper for this!) Then, thank God for creating so much variety.