Stewardship

I got some really nice gifts from my beloved wife this Christmas. When I opened each one, I thanked her for her thoughtfulness and giving me gifts that demonstrated that she knows who I am and what I need and want. After opening the packages, I was careful to put the gifts in places that assured they wouldn’t be damaged. When I use the gifts, I do so in accordance with their instructions in order to prolong their useful life.

I do all of this not so much because of the gifts themselves – though there is an element of that – but because I really love my wife, the giver of the gifts. If I had failed to thank her, or had treated the gifts with disdain, casting them aside as expendable, I would have shown enormous disrespect for my wife. Anyone looking on at such careless disregard for a loved ones gifts would certainly conclude that, though she clearly loves me, I apparently do not reciprocate that love.

What other conclusion could one draw?

I am dismayed that some people who loudly call themselves Christians, can have such careless disregard for the loving gifts their Father has granted them in creation. They claim to love the gift-giver, but their ignorant actions speak so loudly no one can hear what they are saying.

This unenlightened flavor of Christian often claims that the environment is unimportant because, they say, “it will all burn up in the end.” They speak these words as if this is Biblical – it is not. Though the Bible does teach that the earth as it currently exists will one day be re-created, there is NEVER any indication that we should despise the earth or fail to care for it.

In fact, the Bible teaches exactly the opposite. In Genesis 2:15, the Bible teaches us to “dress it and keep it.” The word translated “dress” here is the Hebrew word âbad. The primary meaning of this word in the original language is “to serve.” The word translated “keep” here is the Hebrew word shâmar. The primary meaning of this word in the original language is “to guard and protect.” The concept God is conveying to humanity is that we must learn the earth’s ways, systems and cycles as God Himself has made them. God has made the Earth to provide everything necessary for life. But humanity is given the responsibility to guard and protect these intricate systems least they be destroyed.

What a wonderful, incredibly balanced and intricate system God has made. God declared that that ALL (bugs, birds, animals, plants, mountains, rivers, oceans, fish, EVERYTHING) that his hands had made was “good.” (Gen. 1:25)

Immediately after God declared his creation to be good, he asked humanity to kâbash and râdâh the Earth. Râdâh simply means to “take” the good gift God is offering. Kâbash literally means to “tread upon.” God wanted humanity to explore, enjoy and live in all of the Earth – not just that part where they began life.

In the New Testament/Covenant, Jesus confirms that both He and His Father continued to love and care for all of creation, (not just humanity) despite the events of the fall of man. In Matthew 6:28-29, Jesus tells us that the lilies of the field are clothed with greater splendor than the legendary King Solomon. In Luke 12:6, Jesus says not a single sparrow could fall to the ground without God’s care. If we are to endeavor to be like Jesus, we cannot do so without also adopting His perspective on even the “least” of God’s creation.

The overall principles here are love, good stewardship and worship. Just as I show love for my wife by being grateful for her gifts to me, and caring for them, we demonstrate love and worship for God by lovingly caring for what He loves and says is “good.”