Stewardship: Taking care of the world to pass it on to future generations.

The rise in industrialisation over the last 300 centuries has taken its toll on the planet, forcing the issue into public consciousness. Today there are so many threats to the world, that we are left facing uncertainties about its future.

How do Christians respond to these threats?

A Sacred Gift from God

The Bible makes it clear that God created the world, and this theme is repeated throughout the Bible, as this verse suggests.

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” Psalm 24:1-2

Because God created the world, it is seen as sacred to Christians, therefore they seek to treat it with respect.

 

Stewardship

The Bible teaches that we should take care of the world. According to Genesis, God put humans in charge of the world:

'God told them, “Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control. I am putting you in charge of the fish, the birds, and all the wild animals." Genesis 1:28

By being put in charge of the world, God gave humans the responsibility to care for it, so that future generations may enjoy it too. This is known as stewardship.

'Then the Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and guard it.' Genesis 2:15

When God created the world, he told humans to look after it. To not do so is to be disobedient to God, something all Christians try to avoid, therefore many place stewardship high on their list of priorities.

Judgement

Christians believe that humans will receive judgement after death, depending on how they treat others. Some extend this teaching to include judgement on how they treat the world. The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats teaches that those who behave well will receive a place in heaven, whilst those who behave poorly will be sent to hell.

Christians today see their role as one of stewardship of God’s earth: they should look after and care for it, keeping it in a good state to pass on to future generations. Many believe they will be judged by God in part about their care of the planet and the animals on the earth.

Click here to find out the Christian Declaration on Nature, Assisi 1986.

Click here to find out about the work of A Rocha, a Christian organisation that works to improve the environment.

Tasks:

‘God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”’ (Genesis 1:26)

What do you think 'ruling' over the animals means? How might a belief that God created the earth affect a Christian's attitude towards caring for the environment?