In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
(Genesis 1:1)
Ah, Pinterest. The adorable outfits, brilliant party ideas, decadent recipes: they all serve as creative inspiration for when I’m in a rut. Who knows how many hours (days?) I’ve spent beholding as much beauty there as my eyes could take in, gathering bits of goodness to sprinkle throughout my life and the world around me. I’m actually wired to do this—one of my top strengths is input. But like most things, Pinterest has a dark side.
It’s just as easy to find theological garbage as it is to find truth, often packaged with a pretty background and a fun font. For women with an abundance of free time and a lack of discernment, this is an especially dangerous situation.
Take, for instance, popular beliefs about the universe. A quick Pinterest search will reveal the following quotes/posts:
- “I always trust the direction of the universe and know I’m being guided.”
- 17 Ways the Universe Communicates with You (Signs from Spirit)
- “You are the universe, expressing itself as a human for a little while.”
- How to Write a Letter to the Universe
- “Be careful what you wish for; I’m listening. -The Universe”
- 12 Immutable Laws of the Universe
- “The entire universe is conspiring to give you everything that you want.”
- 10 Warning Signs the Universe Sends When You Are on the Wrong Path
- “I trust the universe; I surrender.”
- Power of Being in Rhythm with the Universe
- “The universe has my back.”
Contrast those statements with the timeless truths of Scripture:
Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of His might, and because He is strong in power not one is missing.
(Isaiah 40:26)
It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom, and by His understanding stretched out the heavens.
(Jeremiah 10:12)
And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
(Deuteronomy 4:19)
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.
(Psalm 19:1)
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the Lord is His name.
(Amos 5:8)
For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is God!), who formed the earth and made it (He established it; He did not create it empty, He formed it to be inhabited!): “I am the Lord, and there is no other.“
(Isaiah 45:18)
Can we start with the logical issues that arise from Pinterest’s worldview? If the entire universe is conspiring to give every person on earth, no matter how corrupt their desires may be, what they want, how can we trust that the best outcome will always result? What happens if you and I want honorable but opposite things? What is the universe’s moral code for being able to make decisions? How about the universe’s character—is it kind/vengeful/random/wise, and how do you know? What is your guarantee that the universe approves of your goodness in having your back (or does it also help rapists, murderers, etc.)? Aren’t we expecting a lot of sentient activity from a bunch of rocks and gas? You don’t even have to like Jesus to raise any of these questions.
But for those of us who do like Jesus, there are also spiritual considerations to take into account. Namely, the God who spoke the universe into being. The God who spoke us into being. The God who hung bloody on a tree so that we could see Him clearly. Why would we settle for belief in a universe that fights for us when we’ve seen the Creator of the universe emerge victorious from the battle against everything that holds us captive?
The Maker of the stars, that King who calls them by name—He knows your name. He. knows. your. name. Good grief, just let that sink in.
At first, the idea of a universe wrapping itself around our frail human hearts is comforting. How important we must be! But the gospel points to something far deeper and truer and better and richer: God Himself, the Shaper of those galaxies, has wrapped Himself in our frail human flesh, laying down His own life, so that we could know and worship Him. How important He is!
A star that draws everything toward itself collapses and creates a black hole, demolishing any surrounding matter in a cosmic vacuum from which nothing can escape. In the same way, my frame was never intended to bear the weight of being the center of the universe. The moment I become the point of existence, existence stops being worth experiencing because everything depends on the impossibility of my perfection. If I fail, it all falls apart. No, my soul needs something—Someone—far greater and more steady to orbit around. Thankfully, I don’t have to look very far; the stars themselves cry out, worshiping the only One worthy to sit on the throne.
The universe doesn’t love you. It can’t—it’s too busy throwing every ounce of its praise at the feet of its Maker. Let’s join in.
The Dwelling Place 
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