The Greatest Resource

DateLine (8/17/05 – Ponce, Puerto Rico)

Historians tell us that the North American continent that greeted the European explorers in the 15th century was rich with unimaginable natural resources. The early settlers exploited these resources to build the United States and Canada into the strong and prosperous nations that we know today.

Even in today’s world prosperity is often measured by the availability of natural resources and sometimes world conflict is sparked by struggle over the control of the much desired commodities. Cases in point are the vast oil reserves in the Middle East which has produced enormous wealth and tensions for the oil producing countries of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the numerous other oil rich states of the region.

Demographers tell us that it is not the depletion of natural resources that are beginning to spell the doom of several great regions of the world but the decline of perhaps the greatest resource; people. The populations of Europe and Russia are trending toward a zero population growth or actually shrinking in the near future. Unfolding before our very eyes is the loss of power and world influence because of declining birth rates and populations. Low birth rates have been attributed to modern contraceptives and increasing abortion rates. In the case of Russia, human maladies such as alcoholism and the HIV virus are decimating the adult population.

We are not exempt in the United States from these trends. Experts tell us that if it were not for our openness to immigrants we would be experiencing some of the same trends. Our own future may be more influenced by immigrant populations than native born Americans.

What’s the lesson for us? Humans are God’s crowning creation. Greatness of a nation is defined by the abundance and diversities of its peoples. Influence on the world stage is more attributable to the contributions of people than the latent value of mere woodlands and ores and oils. God created man in His own image. God was greatly disappointed in choices made by the first man and woman and He continues to be disappointed in the choices made by contemporary man, but God did not give up on us and He has made a provision for us to be reconciled to Him. God’s great love for us is one of the reasons that He is deserving of our worship. We were made to worship God and we find our greatest fulfillment in life worshipping Him. Our job is to tell this good news to as many of our neighbors as we possibly can. God has entrusted this great task to His “greatest resource;” that’s you and me.