Environmentalism and Christian Stewardship

It is hard to read anything now in the news without being warned of the dire straits we have put our earth into. We are told that if we do not take action now the world will be sent into impending doom. We as Christians, often go down two paths when we are faced with such predictions.

Some of us may be tempted to listen entirely to the warnings of doom and fling ourselves fully into the effort to save the world. It is very easy to fall for this as we scroll through emotionally tugging images of receding glaciers and shrinking forests.

But we are not to look at the world through the lenses of a secular scientist. God's Word comes first and foremost in every area of life. And that brings us to the other alternative, which is on the other end of the spectrum.

Instead of heeding the warnings, we may want to ignore the predictions all together and not do anything about it. After all, God told us to subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28) so why should we care at all?  

However, in Genesis 2:15 we read:  The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (ESV)

Contrary to what many would have us believe, man was put on earth for it's benefit. We should not be the earth's enemy but it's friend. We not only live on the earth to subdue it under our feet but to care for it.

We are called to be stewards. We are entrusted to use the resources given to us by God for his ultimate glory. One important exercise in Christian stewardship is to not waste. We live in a culture of materialism where we have more than we could ever need. Christians should stand against this lifestyle and not take for granted the material prosperity entrusted to us.

I can remember the shock I had when, having come back to Canada from Africa, I saw all the food that was thrown out. I remember bloating myself one night trying to eat all the leftovers people had at my table so as to avoid the food ending in the trash. The subsequent discomfort was enough to convince me that this is not the way to deal with waste.

I would suggest however, that we regard with greater thanks the resources God has given us. Many of us are blessed incredibly with material wealth - Let us be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us.

Therefore, I believe that neither extreme will do. It is not our one aim in life to make sure that we remake the earth into a paradise. The reality is, we live in a world inundated with sin. We can't return the world to an Edenic paradise, so it's vain to try. Our primary concern should not be for the environment but for people's souls.

Because ultimately, the earth is His. History is his plan. Humans have messed up time and time again but God has used their actions for His ultimate glory. Let us strive to care for everything entrusted to us, while resting in the knowledge that whatever humans do to the earth, God is in control and will bring about his holy will.