To say the least, I was taken back by the question. I didn’t even know that he had ever heard the expression, “Mother Nature.”

    But how insightful? I never cease to be amazed at what children say. I didn’t know quite how to answer his question.

    Why do we refer to the works of “Mother Nature” rather than the works of God? Is it an effort to avoid offending someone? Is it intended to disguise our faith in God? Or is it just a phrase we’ve picked up that has no theological significance intended?

“Dad, why do people give Mother Nature credit for all the beautiful things God does?”

    Whatever the case may be for our use of the term, don’t you think more glory and honor would be directed to God if instead of talking about what “Mother Nature” does, we talked about what God does? Instead of talking about how Mother Nature takes care of the animals during the cold Winter, wouldn’t it be more honoring to God to talk about how God takes care of the animals during the Winter? Instead of talking about the beautiful sunset Mother Nature gave us, wouldn’t it be more honoring to God if we talked about the beautiful sunset God gave us? Instead of talking about how Mother Nature brings about the beautiful change of the seasons, wouldn’t it be more honoring to God if we talked about how God causes the change of the seasons?

    You get the idea. By using a little care in our language, we not only can give God the praise and glory that is rightfully his, but at the same time, we may open doors to further discussion about God with others by the change in our language.

    I can’t help but wonder that if the innocence of a six year old made him wonder why we give “Mother Nature” credit for the beautiful things God does, then don’t you suppose God wonders the same thing?

The heavens tell of the glory of God.
The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak;
Night after night they make him known.

They speak without a sound or a word;
Their voice is silent in the skies;

Yet their message has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to all the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)