Caretakers of the earth

Each of us will give an account of himself to God (Romans 14:12).

God made us to be the caretakers of His creation. The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. He told Adam and Eve, "fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground" (Genesis 2:15, Genesis 1:28).

So how does a responsible caretaker behave? First of all, he remembers who owns the property; he does not use the things entrusted to him for selfish pleasure. Second, a good caretaker thinks about the consequences of his actions; he does not want to spoil any resources that belong to someone else or use them up wastefully.

One example of being a good caretaker is how you deal with food. On one occasion, Jesus fed a crowd of over 5,000 people using five loaves of bread and two small fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted" (John 6:12). How do you treat leftovers? Do you throw them away or save them for a future meal? When you eat out, do you order more than you can eat? Do you ask for a container so you can take the leftovers home?

Here’s another example—consider your driving habits. Do you drive to a gym or recreation center to work out? Why waste that gas when you could get exercise by just walking? Do you make lists before you go on a shopping trip so you don’t drive around unnecessarily? Do you carpool to school or work or out-of-town games?

We waste things because we don’t think or we don’t care. Either way, wasteful behavior insults the God who made everything, including us. When we use things foolishly or negligently, we fail in our duty as caretakers of creation. Thankfully, we can go to the Son of God for help. Christ forgives our wasteful behavior and casual attitude towards God’s creation. We anger God with our laziness and lack of respect, but on the cross Jesus suffered all the punishment that we deserve. With our sins forgiven, we can look forward to meeting our Maker, who will tell us "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:21)