"As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another."
~ 1 Peter 4:10
Because of the words of Genesis and the account of creation, it is often easy to think of stewardship and think of the earth.
By the way, I'm a big proponent of that. I recycle. I try to pick up trash when the opportunity arises. I pray for a carbon-neutral truly implementable solution for our landfills and the giant floating island of detritus in the middle of the ocean. And on and on it goes.
A friend and I were speaking on the heels of Earth Day about our surprise that more believers aren't advocates for the environment. There's no need to be extreme, but we are commanded to care for His creation.
If every believer on the planet made whatever conscientious choices were conveniently available, we could make a real difference.
In case you're looking for ideas, here are a few I do my best to abide by, though there are so many more easy things to do, if you really want to dig in and do the research.
- Recycle and upcycle. Reduce and reuse. (Admittedly not all of what goes to recycling gets recycled. Sadly, sometimes it finds its way to the landfill, but it is worth the effort for what does.)
- Cloth napkins and towels in the kitchen, as opposed to their paper alternatives.
- Of course, there's always the old standard... turn off lights that are not in use. It can also be helpful (not just to mother nature, but also happily our wallets,) to unplug anything that is not used regularly. Turns out there's a minor power drain for anything that's plugged in.
- This one comes from a friend's grandmother. Anytime you're using water, be willing to ask, do I really need this much water to do what I'm doing? Turn off the tap while brushing, in between plates being scrubbed, or whenever else it seems like it's not actually in use. And, keep an eye on pressure. If it doesn't need to be turned all the way up, go for a dribble or medium flow.
- I do my best to avoid single-use plastics, even straws. And, if I do have a plastic grocery bag (thank you pandemic,) I do my best to repurpose it for another task, and after that, to line the bathroom trash can rather than buying trash bags.
We can shop locally to cut down on gas and get what we need from farm to table, we can keep a mind toward sustainability and impact, plant trees and care for the bees. There are plenty of ways large and small we can do better to leave the world better than we found it for those that come after. We simply have to choose to do so, to make it a personal priority.
We walk when we can, we use fewer chemicals, we support food producers locally and those who use fewer chemicals whenever possible, and we begin to make a dent. Tiny though it may be, with nearly a third of the global population claiming Christianity in 2015, together that makes quite a dent.
Though I definitely wanted to talk about good stewardship of creation, and the clear expectation Scripture outlines for our role therein, I also wanted to extrapolate out a bit.
How about good stewardship of the financial resources He has given us? We all know there are clear instructions throughout scripture on that front.
And, of our health? Of the body temple? Do we exhibit good stewardship there? Are we eating what we know will fuel our bodies? Are we getting enough physical movement in an increasingly sedentary screen-centric society? Are we getting enough natural light, our daily dose of vitamin D?
How well are we stewarding the relationships in our lives? I certainly hope that as I endeavor to serve you, I am able to well steward the beautiful connections with which the Creator has blessed me.
How well are we stewarding ourselves and how powerfully we get to stand for all of the above? If we work on ourselves, it can't help but improve everything. And, after all, He has given us the gift of self as well.
Just a few bites of food for thought from one Jesus-loving tree hugger eager to see each of His children living the best life available.
Hopefully something whispers, hopefully something convicts, hopefully we take steps to be better today than we were yesterday, better tomorrow than we are today.
One of my coaches recently gave me the advice to simply, do one thing right. She was speaking on a larger perspective and different context, but what if we brought it down to the microcosmic and expected of ourselves, moment by moment, to do one thing right? We won't always get it right, sometimes we'll drop the ball, but cumulatively? That could make a massive difference in a life, in our circles, and beyond.
Abba Father,
Thank You, for all the ways you grant us stewardship. Thank You, for helping us to be active participants in that role, as You would have us do.
Thank You, for uprooting in us anything that does not serve You and planting in its stead the Fruit of the Spirit and the Truth of Your Word.
Thank You, for allowing us to be yoked to You, for taking us by the heart, mind, soul, and hand, and helping us to walk ever in Your Way.
All this we pray in the most Holy Name of Your Son, Yeshua,
Amen
"Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." ~ Colossians 3:23-24
"Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be achieved." ~ Proverbs 16:3
"Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful." ~ 1 Corinthians 4:2
May the Good Lord bless you and keep you, friends... always, in all ways. Amen.
Bonus song of praise... ♥ Simple and sweet.
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