Many Christians return tithe as good stewards yet sometimes neglect or overlook stewardship in other areas, like nature. From the very beginning, God gave us the earth and all that is on it to care for. We can easily see the steady destruction of the earth that many modern inventions have contributed to, with dire, troubling repercussions affecting all life. The natural world is not valued directly, for its own sake, but only indirectly—for the many benefits it brings to humans.
Throughout the Bible
Christian stewardship of creation should reflect the biblical writers’ concern for creation, including respect for nature and kindness to animals. The breadth and depth in their thinking about the created world commenced in the very first chapters of the first book (Genesis) with the description of God blessing the many life forms He created. The glories of creation also are found in worship liturgies—the Creator praised for His continuing gift of life.
The Bible clearly teaches that human beings were entrusted with the stewardship of this world, which we were given to cherish and protect, with all that is in it, including ourselves (e.g., Gen. 1:26, 28; 2:15; Num. 35:33; Pss. 8:6–8; 115:16; Prov. 12:10; 1 Tim. 4:4). Even in the Decalogue, the Sabbath blessing includes animals!
Christian attitudes about creation should come from its divine origin, thereby deserving respect. Moreover, human beings, created in God’s image and therefore His image bearers in the world, should reflect His appreciation for this place.
Bible writers in both testaments respect nature, including issues of conservation and tenderness toward animals. “The more we study and understand the creation with all of our ways of knowing from the scientific to the spiritual, the more we see its astounding perfection, even in its tiniest manifestation, far beyond anything that we ourselves could create. In the myriad interconnections of its ecosystemic elements, we see a totality that is far beyond what we can even begin to comprehend. . . . It is no wonder that such a work can only be that of God.”1 Scripture writers do not worship the created world—only the Creator is worshiped; however, His creation is treasured.
Tend and care
Ecological problems have caused some Christians to pay more attention to the created world. Others have overlooked this subject—even though much of our understanding of God often comes from studying universe grandeur. Moreover, threats to animals, birds, fish, air, soil, and ecosystems not only endanger all life but also go against the directives of God Himself.
The divine assignment of dominion and responsibility, a stewardship ethic, originated on earth when Adam and Eve were instructed to “tend and care” for the garden. This mandate has never been revoked! Thus, the obliteration of forests and wetlands, the pollution of waterways, and the extinction of numerous species of plants and animals should be a genuine Christian concern. Christian creation care is inspired by God’s affection for this earth and His creation.
However, many Christians have yet to be interested in or convicted to care for creation. Some argue that paying attention to environmental issues is a waste of time since the world is going to be destroyed anyway. Even worse, some Christians abuse the “dominion” that God granted human beings at creation. However, “dominion” is not domination. We are called to be good stewards, to care for everything that God gave us at Creation.
Creational concerns
We need to review biblical teachings on creation care, noticing the creational concerns widely embedded in the narratives, poetry, wisdom literature, prophets’ writings, and apostles’ letters. The Creator personally invites us in the Decalogue’s fourth commandment to such study with Him every Sabbath.
- David Haenke, “Bioregionalism: The Natural Lines of Creation,” Christian Ecology: Building an Environmental Ethic for the Twenty-First Century, Proceedings of the First North American Conference on Christianity and Ecology, ed. Frederick W. Krueger (San Francisco, CA, 1988), 54.
