This question matters because it challenges one of the most common objections to creation care: if everything God made is "very good" (Genesis 1:31), what about creatures we instinctively regard as disgusting, dangerous or useless? Many Christians can appreciate pandas or butterflies as part of God's creation, but struggle to see how cockroaches, mosquitoes or rats fit into that picture.
What comes to mind when we think of worship may only look like conscious praise, such as humans singing hymns or angels declaring God's holiness. Scripture, however, presents a much broader picture. Creation glorifies God simply by existing according to His design.
Psalm 19:1 (ESV) declares:
"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
Likewise, Psalm 148 calls on mountains, trees, wild animals, livestock, birds and sea creatures to praise the Lord—not because they possess human consciousness, but because their existence reflects God's creative wisdom.
God Himself delights in creatures that humans often overlook or fear. In His speech to Job, He describes mountain goats, ostriches, hawks, crocodiles and many other wild animals, not primarily for their usefulness to humanity but because they demonstrate His wisdom and sovereignty (Job 38–41). The point is that creation has value beyond its utility to us.
Cockroaches are an excellent example. Although only a small number of species become household pests, there are over 4,500 known cockroach species worldwide, and fewer than 1% commonly live alongside humans (Science Direct). Most inhabit forests, caves and leaf litter. Ecologically, they are important decomposers, breaking down dead organic matter and recycling nutrients back into ecosystems. They also provide food for birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Without countless decomposers—including fungi, bacteria, beetles and cockroaches—ecosystems would become overwhelmed with decaying material, and nutrient cycles would stall.
Similarly, ants aerate soil, disperse seeds, recycle nutrients and regulate insect populations. Scientists estimate that ants collectively move enormous quantities of soil each year, making them important ecosystem engineers.
Why, then, do we see these creatures negatively?
The answer lies partly in humanity's experience after the Fall. Genesis 3 describes a world now marked by frustration, conflict and decay. Some animals become disease vectors or invade human settlements, creating genuine health risks. Our experience of them is therefore shaped by a fallen world in which relationships between humans and the rest of creation are often disordered.
Yet Scripture never calls these creatures evil. Instead, Proverbs even points believers to ants as models of wisdom:
"Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise." (Proverbs 6:6, ESV)
Creation care therefore asks us to recover a posture of humility. We need not find every creature aesthetically beautiful to recognise that every creature bears witness to the Creator's wisdom.
Ultimately, creation worships God by faithfully fulfilling the roles God has given it. A cockroach glorifies God not by singing praises but by participating in the ecological systems God ordained. Its existence reveals aspects of God's creativity, resilience and providential care over even the smallest creatures.
This perspective also reminds us that beauty in Scripture is not limited to what humans find attractive. God's creation displays diversity, complexity and purpose. Some creatures evoke delight; others evoke awe, caution or even discomfort. Together they testify to the richness of God's world.
Thank you for letting us know.
