For everything a season

Ecc. 3:1 To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven: May 2, 2007
The preacher (as the writer of Ecclesiastes identifies himself) tells us a profound truth in this verse. Contrary to popular belief there are many things that are either considered bad by our society or are in fact bad under most circumstances, which do in fact have a legitimate time and place. Take illegal drugs for example, when used as most people use them, to bring about a high or some other such loss of physical and mental control is wrong, that is not to say that drugs are wrong across the board. Many people have survived a trauma that their body would not have been able to bear without the help of such drugs. God created those plants and he created them for a reason, we can abuse that privilege or we can use it in a proper manner.
God has given us all things for our enjoyment and His glory, we as humans have been given the responsibility to be stewards of this world, whether it be a thing, an action, an animal, we are to exercise dominion over it, that does not mean use it however we want. That does mean that we ought to use all the resources we have in the manner that would bring the most honor to Him. You hear people talking about litter and pollution; you can swing to either end of the pendulum if you wish. The one side will go to the extent of worshiping the creation more than the creature telling us trees and animals have the same rights we do, the other side would tell you humans can do whatever they wish with the earth since we’ve been given dominion over it. Both sides would be wrong, the biblical answer is that there is a time for everything, there is a time to cut down the tree for the natural resources it provides, there is also a time to refrain from cutting down that tree in order to use the land to it’s fullest capabilities.
It is rare in our day and age to see anyone do something or teach something in moderation, we like to generalize things. Really it doesn’t even have to do with our time, we’re told that in the garden Eve said that God had said not to eat the fruit or touch it lest they die. What God had really said was not to eat the fruit, but we humans like to add to God’s word and say something is wrong in all it’s facets when God didn’t really say that. Now don’t get me wrong a sin is a sin, there is not time for adultery, and idol worship is never condoned in the bible. But as I said all the resources God has given us have a designated place in this world, we can use them or abuse them but in the end we will answer to God for what we do.