The Gospel of Stewarding the Earth
I’m writing this, sitting on low beach chair on the dry land of sand created as a boundary for the sea (Psalm 104:9). My toes are two feet from the edge of the untamed ocean where God “created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water…” (Genesis 1:21a).
A sliver of orange lines the horizon, that leads to Thailand, then wraps around to India, in what feels like a million hundred miles away.
Last night, I sat in the very same place in the sand, on the edge of the ocean, and felt the Psalm I memorized that morning: “When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4)
Why DID you create people, God? And how does that fit with getting the Gospel to the ends of the earth?
Let’s look alllll the way back to the first chapter of Genesis.
God took a whole day to create light, another day to create the sky, another for the land and vegetation, one more whole day to create the sun, moon and stars to mark the seasons in a system of time, and a fifth day to create birds and fish.
It wasn’t until the sixth day when God created all the animals, that he surveyed his work, and saw that it was good.
But something was missing.
Someone to “reign over” and take care of his creation. To “govern” the earth with authority of someone made in the likeness of God himself.
Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” (Genesis 1:25) He blessed the humans and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it.” (Genesis 1:26a).
Why did God create us in the first place?
He wanted people, humans made in the image of God to take care of his creation—enjoy it—and spread Eden’s garden blessings to the ends of the earth.
Yes, you and I are driven to our core to see God’s glory cover the earth as the water covers the sea (Habbukuk 2:12). That’s one of our core “missions” verses.
Maybe I didn’t realize until now that God’s glory covering the earth could also mean that we steward the earth and the animals he created well.
After all, God created us first to care for his creation.
In our well-meaning mission-minded, take-the-gospel-to-the-ends-of-the-earth fervor, do we recognize that it’s OKAY (and even IMPERATIVE) that we also fulfill our original role as stewards of God’s earth, animals, and its resources?
Are some of you (or the people you mobilize) farmers, agricultural specialists, botanists, gardeners, animal lovers, shepherds?
Do you think that missions and these pursuits don’t mix?
Perhaps they match perfectly!
Here’s the truth.
In many places where the people of God are NOT, the rich resources of land, vegetation, and animals both domestic and wild are squandered, destroyed, or sitting idle and untapped.
What if you could steward the earth in Adam and Eve’s original assignment by teaching local farmers how to grow tomatoes through aquaponics in the unreached, unengaged interior of East Africa (like some friends of mine)—while you grow the Kingdom of God in a place that hasn’t seen apostolic feet in recent decades?
What if you could partner with shepherds as a veterinarian in the mountains of an unreached, unengaged nomadic people group in the Himalayas (like some friends of mine)—while you affirm the shepherds for living out God’s original design for them and invite them bow their knee to the Good Shepherd?
What if you could engineer local solutions in poor, rural areas of Asia and Africa with co-creations of solar drying units, creative harvesting methods, and new ways to use coconuts or bananas? Or in poor, urban areas with water purification units or rooftop gardens? Since you’re also a follower of Jesus, groups of people following the True Gardener and the Father, the main Vinedresser will also grow from a mustard seed to branches that grow so big birds can come and rest in them (Matthew 13:31-33) .
What if you pursued a degree in Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Indonesia in sustainable agriculture, animal husbandry, or landscape architecture, rubbing shoulders with those who love the same thing—transforming under privileged areas of God’s earth together, as you illustrate the good news of the Kingdom of God?
If deep down in your soul, you FEEL God’s “Adam and Eve” call on your life to have authority over creation, to reign over it, to steward it, you are not alone.
This is a worthy calling and a worthy pursuit.
Can I ask you to consider stewarding the earth in places with both physical AND spiritual poverty? Let’s marry God’s original purpose for creating humankind with his pursuit of humankind to put their own authority back under his so that God’s will is done on earth, as it is in heaven.
What do you think of this idea? (You can now post comments as a guest with just a first name)
PS: By the way, what did you score on the Grow to Go Test? Are you a Starter, Grower, or Goer? Find out if you should be considering a career like the ones I talked about above—or how to grow to GO into being one of them.