Fostering Stewardship
What kind of web-site would this be as one dedicated to God’s Word and His creation that did not include a firm foundation on the aspects of conservation and the stewardship of our natural resources. The two words Conservation and Stewardship hold very similar definitions but in the end, I choose to focus this page more on the stewardship aspect of calling other’s attention to the importance of caring for the world we live in. The word conservation sometimes carries the thought of a few nature obsessed tree huggers that don’t have anything better to do with their lives, but when the focus is about stewardship it helps us to broaden the responsibility to us all. We don’t get very far into the Bible without getting a very clear and strong mandate from God himself regarding the responsibility we all share in the stewardship of our earthly home. Genesis 1:26-28 in the Message version says it so well-God spoke: “Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature, So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, And, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth.” God created human beings; he created them godlike,
Reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female. God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge! Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”
Part of me wanted to use this page as a place for me to post my rants on how much I hate oilspills, pollution, litter and the overall lack of respect most of society has towards the care of our natural resources but I will opt for a more Jesus like approach to the issue. Wait, I recall a scene in the Book of Mathew where Jesus had gotten fed up with the so called religious leaders of His day who were making a mockery of His Fathers Temple. It went something like this… [ He Kicked Over the Tables ] Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text: My house was designated a house of prayer; You have made it a hangout for thieves. Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them. Matthew 21:12-14 (MSG) Translation
Ok then, I feel a bit better as I allow my passions and convictions their proper place to be voiced on the Nature Speaks media platform. After all, I created it! Also, I have tried to reprimand the out of town driver visiting Colorado who so flippantly flicks his or her cigarette butt out of the car window, only to be met with indignant glares and the universal call sign of self-right, AKA the middle-finger. In all seriousness, the responsibility belongs to us all to care for the natural resources of this planet and the only way to true and lasting change is for others to get a revelation of the Spiritual truth concerning stewardship. Steward ship is defined as “the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving.” Dictionary.com
Stewardship is a Biblical principle found all through-out the Bible and no one gets a pass on its far-reaching obligation and effect on the outcome of our lives. The kicker in this deal however is that we don’t get to decide what is worthy of our stewardship, God does! Just like teaching our children about responsibility (stewardship), they don’t get to decide what is ok to neglect or to take care of, mom and dad does! Why, because little Annie does not yet know what is of true and lasting value. So, the same with all of us, we need to be taught, sometimes over and over again about the importance of taking care of the World we live in. And more than that, stewardship is something that reaches every aspect of our lives, from taking care of our lawn, how we use our time, money, and to the fostering of our God given gifts and talents!
That is my goal and my hope, that I may take part in the Godly calling to teach, preach, and reveal God’s intent for us to grow and expand in our responsibility of stewardship as it concerns the world we live in! I never sought out to be an advocate for wild places, wild life and of nature but something profound happened along the way as I grew closer to God! It seemed that the closer that I became with God in terms of relationship, the closer I became with nature. In turn, the more I explored nature the more I found God! That again is the entire point, God is so intrinsically woven throughout creation but it seems like the Church and perhaps our culture has almost implied that God only exists within its four walls. At least that was the mindset that I held for so many years. You want to know God, go to Church. You want to go play with bugs, then go to the woods. Not so!
I think we all know better than that but I truly feel there is still so much for us to learn about God’s heart and how He speaks to us through nature, and along with that comes the awesome responsibility of stewarding the gift of natural things. Let us journey on into the heart of God and along the way, be more and more mindful of the part we all play in taking care of what has been so gloriously entrusted to us! Jeff Leva