(Note: this page is intended for Christians; but if you are not a Christian you are also free to read)
While not hardly ever addressed by Christians/The Church; as the Earth gets more and more destroyed by humans and as the push to care for the Earth better by caring for its' environment, by reducing pollution/ human made destruction, conserving plants, and conserving animals becomes more of an issue in society, it’s important to ask: should Christian’s be caring for the Earth and all life on it? What does the Bible say about humans caring for the environment/planet Earth?
God’s gave humans authority to dominate all life on Earth (to own Earth)
As it's very well known, God created the Earth (at least as it is now) by forming the atmosphere and creating all known life in it in a week. So, it would be a living self-sustaining system perfect for the organic physical life he created to live on it. He saw this system (as well as other celestial bodies he also created) and said it was ‘good’: from the atmosphere, the land, the water, plants, animals, all of it worked perfectly as intended and was good to God:
Genesis 1:31
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good."
However, on the 6th day, when God just got through making the modern Earth and all life on it, God then made beings in his image specifically to dominate the Earth and all life in it:
Genesis 1:26-28
“Then 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.’ So God created mankind in his own image,… God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ ”
So, on the 6th day, God made humans in his image in order for them to dominate the planet Earth and all life on it: So, God gave the Earth and all life on it to humans.
So, God is clear, that it’s a human's birthright to rule and own the planet earth
So, concerning humans’ relationship with their planet and all other life on it, God created them specifically to rule and dominate them.
However, the real question is, did this domination/rulership mean once they reproduced to be enough humans to successfully dominate the Earth, they could rule the world and all life on it however they wanted?
Sovereign Dominion vs. Total Domination
Many who have read the Bible can obviously see that humans as a species and race have been given dominion over all other animals and plants on the Earth; and this has been absolutely proven true all throughout recorded history, and especially today more than any other time known before; but what does this word ‘dominion’ mean?
This word 'dominion' is the Hebrew word "וְיִרְדּוּ֩" (wey-yir-doo) which means "to have authority, to rule/subdue" [1].
So basically, God gave humanity the power and knowhow (like he has) to take over and rule the planet Earth. Today this is a definite reality, however this does not necessarily mean total domination of what humans see fit!
Even though God gave humans the right to own the Earth, God says that only true total domination belongs to him: he alone totally rules the Earth and the descendants of the humans he originally gave that authority to (that is the human nations) how he wants: even though he did give humans the right to rule over Earth and all life on it:
Psalm 22:28
“...dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.”
So, how did he want humans to rule the Earth?
God also reveals later, that even though he did want humans to own the world and rule over it: he also wanted them to care for it while they did:
The command for Adam (and Eve) for their home; The Garden of Eden
Later it seems, when God could not find a human to care for the land like he wanted them to, so he made a human he called Adam and commanded him to care for a special garden he made; called the garden of Eden:
Genesis 2:5-15
“Now…there was no one to work the ground,…Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life,…he…took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
So, God specifically made the human Adam to 'to work and take care' of his special garden, But What does God mean by commanding Adam to work it and take care of it?
To 'work it' is the Hebrew word "עָבַד" (aw-bad') Meaning ‘to serve’ or ‘to work for’ and 'take care of it' is the Hebrew word ": שָׁמַר" (shaw-mar') meaning 'to keep/preserve' or 'guard'. [2]
So, God put Adam in the garden of Eden to serve/work for it and preserve it/guard it!
So, God made Adam (and by extension, Eve) to fill this roll of caring for the land/living plants growing on it: specifically for this land/plants growing in his special garden of Eden: Even though Adam was a human too, and like the human(s) seeming to be mentioned in the previous verse above, he was also given power to rule the world and all life in it. But unlike mentioned before, God also says he also desires for him to care for the garden/plants (thus planet Earth) on his behalf.
While the Garden of Eden was a real garden, it seemed to have represented more than just the garden it seems to have had had a greater representation. The Garden of Eden could have very well have been symbolic for the whole of Planet Earth; the planet humans were to not only rule over but also care and manage for it; like Adam was to care and manage the garden of Eden. In Genesis, this is one (not the only!) purpose for God creating humanity: So, planet earth could have an owner and a caretaker!
The responsibility and power Adam had over all animals, as well, is emphasized by God when he personally brought all animals to him in the garden and had him name each of the different species he created:
Genesis 2:19-20
“Now the Lord God…brought…[all the wild animals and birds of the sky]… to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.”
By doing this, God seems to confirm that Adam, like all other humans that (possibly) were in existence or will exist, was given authority to rule all animals (and plants). And one way he showed him this was by giving Adam authority to give them names to refer to all the different species God created.
But did this mean since humans had been given authority over animals, they could rule them and treat them however they wanted?
God also reveals later, even though he did want humans to dominate and rule over all animals he created, he also wanted them to care for them while they did:
God commanded Noah (and all his descendants) to save and care for the animals he gave them, and they will be held responsible for their lives
When warning Noah about the coming flood to destroy all air breathing life on Earth He commanded Noah to build a boat to not only save himself and his family but also to save the animals lives around:
Genesis 6:13-21
“So God said to Noah, ‘...make yourself an ark…I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy...every creature that has the breath of life in it.….You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.... You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.’ ”
Specifically, God commanded Noah to bring breeding pairs of each species to conserve them, so their species would be able to reproduce and survive and would not go extinct when God destroyed the rest of all air breathing life during the flood. In this way, God seem to have held Noah (and his family) responsible for caring (feeding, giving water to, looking after them, etc.) for and preserving the (air breathing) animals he created.
After the flood, when God was making the Noahic covenant with Noah and his sons he warns them that he would hold animals’ lives (that is, how they were treated by them: especially in the context of killing it) accountable:
Genesis 9:5
“I will demand an accounting from every animal..."
This goes to show, even though the subject was primarily killing (especially murdering an animal life without a proper cause: that is other than for food, clothes, sacrifice, and/or self-defense) it goes to show something else God expected humans to do:
With their power to rule over all animal life on Earth, he expected them to consider their lives and treat them decent/care for them: it’s also important to know that if animals were abused by humans God would/will hold them personally responsible for that animal live: a warning that is very serious for every Christian (and human) to consider!
This goes to show God doesn’t just want humans to use their power and dominion to do whatever they want to with animals, but rather he seems to expect them to care protect and conserve the different species of animals he created.
Instructions to care for animals, plants, and the land (environment) given in the old covenant/through the rest of the Bible
While not exactly considered 'the main laws' of God given to his holy nation Isreal, God does reveal to his people directly and indirectly that, in many ways, his will was for them to use their human given birthright of power and authority to care for animals, plants, and the land/environment under their care:
God warns Isreal if they see a bird's nest with while they are walking and want to take the eggs and mother bird; to only take the eggs/chicks but to not take the mother:
Deuteronomy 22:6-7
"If you come across a bird’s nest beside the road, either in a tree or on the ground, and the mother is sitting on the young or on the eggs, do not take the mother with the young. You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go,..."
He says if they do this and obey him; everything will go well with them, and they will be blessed with a long life:
Deuteronomy 22:7
"...so that it may go well with you and you may have a long life."
Why God does not directly say while he commanded Isreal to do this (and why they would be blessed for doing it) it could have been his way of trying to conserve the many different bird species: by not taking the mother bird, but letting her go, it allows the sexually active parents to continue to produce more offspring verses if both of them were taken and killed then they would have no descendants leaving to less and less of the species' population in existence. If this is the case (and it seems like it is) then this was God's main reason for commanding this and continues to confirm God desires for humans to try to conserve the different species he has made and given human's authority over. If they tried to conserve these bird species as God commanded them then God would bless them will a long life!
That very important!
God also repeatedly tells his people to not do something odd: he tells them 3 times to not cook a baby goat in its mother's own milk:
Exodus 23:19
“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk."
Exodus 34:26
“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
Deuteronomy 14:21
“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.”
But why does he tell Israel not to do such an odd thing? While this might sound an odd thing to do for many today (and even throughout most of history); in this time, it might have been common in some parts of the Middle East to do, and thus God was warning Isreal to not do this like other nations were doing, but it also reveals something else about God's will concerning how they treated their animals:
It seems to reveal God's desire to not kill/treat baby goats cruelly: taking milk from its' mom and boiling the baby (alive or dead) in its own mom's milk seems pretty evil and cruel; and God here seems to agree! He seems to desire his people to kill baby goats humanely (slitting/chopping off the throat: often times leading to immediate death) as he commands them to. By commanding this, he only further confirms that he desires humans to treat animals humanely and cares how they are treated: even in how they are killed!
Many years later, king Solomon (the wisest human to ever live), says the righteous care for the animals they own:
Proverbs 12:10
"The righteous care for the needs of their animals,..."
Do you want to be righteous before God (and Jesus)? Well according to Solomon: you need to regard and consider the life of the animals God had allowed you to own!
So, God through his word seems pretty clear: he, in general, desires humans to care and conserve the animals he created to be under their rule and care: not to abuse them and treat them however they want and kill them all into extinction. So, we can conclude conservation of the species of animals, to even how we treat our own individual pets and livestock, are important to God and are expected from each human (and especially each Christian, who ought to be obeying all his commands anyway) to do. Hunting animals to extinction and tormenting animals are indeed a sin against God, and it seems God will one day judge those humans responsible for these crimes and to give an account for why they did!
God commands Isreal, when building a siege with wood to take over an enemy city, he commands them to use the wood from non-fruit trees; he asks them to spare the fruit trees and not use them, because they are to be used in the future as a food source for them and their descendants:
Deuteronomy 20:19-20
"When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit....However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works..."
While this is not necessarily about caring for the plants in particular (while they were sparing some plant it was only because they produced something edible for them: all the other trees got cut down) it does hint something about God's will concerning his treatment of the plants by humans:
It shows, while God might permit humans to cut down trees to make objects with their wood, it also shows God desires humans to think about the future effect of their actions on the plants they might be destroying right now:
Much like God commanded Isreal to not cut down the trees that produced something edible for them to eat later (if they were allowed to cut all the trees down then there would be far less food available for them after the war ended and they settled in the area; they might not have nearly as much food/ nothing to eat as soon as the war ended. There might have even been a famine, and they might have even caused the Permanant extinction of a native fruit tree due to their current actions!) He also, most likely, wants all humans to consider the future of the trees/plants their destroying for one reason or another and how it will affect them in the future.
This further confirms God desires his human creations to care for the many different species of plants he created for them to rule on Earth: he ,in general, desires for them to care and watch over the many plant species making sure they are healthy and that they are conserved (much like Adam [and Eve] were commanded to care for the plants in the garden of Eden). Thus, since humans primarily have power to destroy plants on a massive scale, we should consider how our actions will affect the plant species (and environment as a whole) in the future before we kill certain plants in an area.
When Isreal settled in the promised land and began to farm parts of it God commanded Isreal to allow the farming land/fruiting plants to rest after 6 years of constant growing/harvesting: much like they, the human Israelites and even the animals they owned, were to rest on the 7th day from working for 6 days; the very land they constantly farmed was to also rest on the 7th year from constant farming/harvesting from the past 6th years.
Exodus 23:10-11
“For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused."
Leviticus 25:1-4
“The Lord said to Moses at Mount Sinai, 'Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land I am going to give you, the land itself must observe a sabbath to the Lord. For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.''"
While God gives many reasons for commanding this: including providing a food source for the humans and wild animals with the wild unharvested crops growing in the field/on fruiting plants:
Exodus 23:11
“Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left.”
He might also have had another reason for commanding a sabbath for the land itself. After years and years of farming and constantly growing different crops ,the land itself, that it the very topsoil of the Earth's crust; would become very depleted of nutrients from all the plants constantly taking nutrients from it and eventually become so depleted that it would not be able to grow healthy crops like it used to (or none at all!).
Benadine Chinonyerem ,an agricultural research scientist, speaks of the terrible effects of what happens when the same crop is planted over and over on the same land without giving the land a break:
“Environmental impacts of continuous cropping in agriculture can be profound and multifaceted, affecting soil health, biodiversity, water quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. Continuous cropping, or growing the same crop on the same land year after year,…can…cause significant long-term environmental degradation. One of the primary concerns associated with continuous cropping is soil depletion. Growing the same crop repeatedly can lead to a decline in soil nutrients,…Over time, continuous cropping without adequate replenishment of these nutrients can result in nutrient-deficient soils, which…reduces crop yields Additionally, continuous cropping can disrupt soil structure and microbial diversity. Soil organisms play a crucial role in nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and soil fertility. However, when the same crop is planted repeatedly, the diversity of soil microorganisms may decrease, leading to a less resilient soil ecosystem. This can result in increased susceptibility to pests and diseases, Biodiversity is another significant concern with continuous cropping. Monoculture practices can reduce habitat availability for various organisms, leading to a decline in both plant and animal species. This loss of biodiversity can disrupt local ecosystems and diminish the resilience of agricultural systems to environmental stressors, such as climate change and extreme weather events. Moreover, reduced biodiversity can negatively impact ecosystem services, such as pollination and natural pest control, which are essential for sustainable agriculture.” [3]
The effects are massive: and by giving the land (especially constantly tilled farmland) a sabbath rest it could have very well been God’s way or restoring/refreshing the land’s productive capacities (much like the humans and animals were to be restored/refreshed on the weekly sabbath rest) and helping the local environment/wildlife (This might have been why he mentioned wild animals eating in the resting field).
If this is the case (and it might be), then it reveals another one of God’s desires for humans. He desires them to care the very land: that is the health and well-being of the very topsoil of Earth’s crust so all other living things on and in the surface of the Earth can thrive and live healthy and well. This goes to show, God not only wants humans to care for all the other life he has created on Earth, but also the very planet Earth itself he gave them as a home to live on and own: to make sure it continues to work the way he designed it to.
This further confirms he made Earth for humans to own and care for: not just to do whatever they want to with it; like to continue to grow crops on the topsoil until it so depleted it can't grow anything anymore/is ruined. And even possibly hurting the layers inside Earth itself, by irresponsibly overmining/over digging inside of it to extract minerals/oil/natural gas in the crust, and maybe even possibly ,one day in the future, digging further into the mantel or even outer/inner core to possibly extract as much energy (or even other materials) from it as they want, but rather to care and consider even the deepest part of planet Earth and how it functions; to care for it all.
A good bit of God’s commands for Israel in the old covenant had to do with caring for the environment and all the life in it, as noted by Hope of Israel ministries:
“Interestingly enough, many of the laws that…God gave Israel specifically dealt with environmental matters. He instructed them on proper care of the soil, waste disposal, and sanitation, timber management, animal husbandry, and wildlife conservation. So it was probably more than coincidental that many of the blessings and cursings listed in Deuteronomy 28 and Leviticus 26 were related directly to ecological matters (see Deuteronomy 28:2-6, 16-18 and Leviticus 26:4-6, 22-26). But even more important, these principles exemplified a fundamental attitude that...God intended for man to have toward His creation. ...[God] made the earth's ecosystems to be used by His people Israel for their sustenance and pleasure. He also intended that man should never tax the environment beyond its natural capacity.”[4]
Speaking of the land, before entering into the promised land, God warns Israel to not pollute this land:
Numbers 35:33
“Do not pollute the land where you are.”
However, this polluting God's specifically referring to here is due to sinful actions that wouldn't necessarily be considered pollution in the modern sense of the word: one such thing that polluted the land was human blood due to murder:
Numbers 35:33
"Bloodshed pollutes the land,..."
However, human blood does not physically pollute the land: human blood would decompose into organic material like the rest of the human body (that is, go back into the Earth/topsoil, as God designed it: so is not polluting the land) and there is no difference known between human blood from a deserved attack and an uncalled murder. However, to God, this was (spiritually, yet very real) pollution, because it was a horrible sin that stained the land and people in it with guilt! However, even though it goes to show other things can pollute the land that would not necessary really be considered physical pollution, it does raise a serious question:
If God is this particular and serious of how his people treat the land he gives them; to the point of not wanting the blood of innocent humans on it because he sees it as pollution of the land for how serious of a sin it is, then how much more physically harmful must he also see what today would be considered pollution ( that is, mostly man-made materials/energy that DO not necessarily naturally decompose back into the Earth)? That’s being constantly (and often carelessly) thrown into the environment (the air, water, and land) both making a horrible ugly mess but introducing materials that he did not design to be in his ecosystem, making it poisonous/more polluted.
Though God might not necessarily address what we would define physical pollution today in the Bible (because man-made materials/energy did not really exists like they do today 3,000 years ago when he was giving these commands: and they most certainly didn't cause the global level of pollution they do today) based on how he is very serious about not polluting the land in any form, the evidence show that he is very angry and upset over physical pollution ruining the ecosystem on Earth's surface/atmosphere he created.
So, if this conclusion is correct (and it seems to be in agreeance with God's nature on the subject) then pollution of man-made materials/energy into the environment that's destroying/poisoning it is absolutely a horrible sin and should not be practiced by humans (and especially Christians!).
God is most likely very upset and displeased with how humans today are polluting the Earth they were given authority over: and will most likely punish those responsible when Jesus returns to Earth. In fact, there might be a verse that just might warn of this exact same thing!
There is a warning in revelation that God/Jesus will punish humans who ‘destroy the Earth’:
Revelation 11:18
“The time has come…for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
This prophecy is a very serious warning: that warns that when Jesus/God come back in the near future he will destroy humans who had been sinning by 'destroying the Earth': while this could mean something else: it could possibly be referring to modern humanities misrule of Earth and its life: especially by polluting the land; or the surface/atmosphere of the Earth.
So, the evidence seems to say, we sin and displease God when we aid ourselves (intentionally or even unintentionally) to destroy the earth/environment God created!
Limits to caring for the planet: not the most important thing for a Christian (human) to do
However, while it is great and important to care for the Earth and all life in it; it should not be the main goal for the Christian life:
While it's true it's important and your responsibility to care for the planet we also have to keep in mind caring for the planet should not be our only/top priority in life: we should not become like the world (especially many secular [Atheists] environmentalists) on this subject. Because many of them think saving the Earth is the most top priority to save all life on Earth; because they think that's the only way to save all life on Earth/themselves their children/descendants from ultimate extinction: this is a false worldview.
Because often, this worldview thinks Earth and all the life on it exists because of natural forces and lucky random events that make Earth and life on it exists as it does now: they often believe the theory of evolution is the origin of our life sustaining Earth. Thus, when humans begin to destroy the planet's life sustaining balances that makes all this life possible: they see it as destroying this very lucky lifeline that they have to live and thus need to stop it at all costs before all life (or most life) goes extinct. And they would be absolutely right in thinking this way: if only this is true!
However, if it's not how the universe came to be (like the evidence seems to prove) and the instead an intelligent designer, called God, really created the universe and then the planet Earth and intentionally made it just right to sustain organic carbon-based life, then created that carbon-based organic life on Earth himself; then the worldview changes. It goes from 'humans are ruining the Earth and since this was all by a lucky accident it's up to us to do all that we can to keep these balances from getting ruined so we don't go extinct' to 'humans are ruining the Earth and since God purposely created the Earth as our home/life-support and gave us responsibility to care for it and protect it we should do the right thing and care for the planet/balances he has made so God does not punish us for our sins in the near future.'
The difference between Christians and the rest of the world concerning caring for the planet should be the main reason why we do it: Christians should do it because God gave us the responsibility to and to not sin against him and receive the punishments for that sin in the near future; not because it's our last hope to save ourselves.
Because the Bible reveals, anyway, that one day the world will be destroyed by fire; it’s not going to matter how much you tried to save the environment because, in the end, it's all going to be destroyed by fire anyway!
2 Peter 3:7
"…the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly."
The world will end in fire: no matter what you do for the animals, plants, and the planet as a whole right now; it going to end in the same way: fire and destruction of the FORMER (modern) planet! But the human lives you helped teach/save and your own salvation and discipleship, that will last forever. So, don't spend all your time saving the environment like it's your last hope, your fighting a losing battle. At the same time, we shouldn't get the wrong idea: even though the Earth will be renewed in fire it Still matters that we care for the Earth and life on it that exists right now: not because it will save us, but because we want to keep our responsibility to care for the planet and to prove we are good stewards to what God has given us.
Putting caring for the planet/environment/other species over human lives
Another fault of the world in caring for earth and the life in it is, that too often, human life is devalued instead and even sometimes demonized as an evil force: sometimes even portrayed as some type of 'mistake' like a 'virus' or 'parasite' of Earth [5].
This, once again, goes back to origin; what the world thinks about evolution and what that effect has on the perception of what humans are doing to the Earth now. This might be true IF humans just were a random evolutionary accident of ape evolution/nothing more than animals themselves (and even this wouldn't even matter if this was true: after all, if humans destroyed all life on the planet and then even destroyed their planet and even themselves: what would it ultimately matter? There's no point in existence since it's just all a random accident). However, since humans were a very special and unique creation made by God; the situation is different:
The Bible reveals humans are not a 'mistake' nor a 'virus/parasite' to the Earth nor are they just another animal in Earth's evolution; not ultimately different from all the others that have existed. Rather humans were created vastly different than all other animals and life on planet Earth (and possibly even in the entire universe and beyond!): since they were made in the very image of God humans are special and not like other animals: and their importance to Earth is equally unique: humans were created to be caring/protective caretakers of the planet.
God ordained them originally to own the Earth and use their power and authority to care for it and protect it and all other life he created on it; just like the planet is designed to care and protect them: because of this, humans are the premier lifeforms of Earth and thus have a unique relationship with their planet no other lifeform on Earth has been given:
We were meant to have a more symbiotic relationship with one another, not a destructive viral/parasitic relationship. However, because sin (especially greed) and deception entered into humanity (of course, with the help of Satan and his evil spiritual cohorts), humanity has now primarily BECOME like a destructive parasite/virus to the Earth!
So yes, in a way, humanity is the problem, but at the same time humanity is also the solution to Earth's problems
This is also another key difference between the world and Christians: the world tends to devalue human life in favor of the planet and other animals/plants.
However, Christians should be different: while they should definitely point out humans are sinning in destroying and abusing their planet/all other life on the planet; they should also emphasis God's original good design for humanity for the planet and all other life on it; that they were created with great value in the image of God to be a force for good. This should encourage a change of heart (much like the gospel should cause a change in life) not to make us feel worthless/evil.
Human lives should always be of the highest priority! Because they're of the highest priority to God: this all goes back to the origin of humans: since God made humans in his very own image a human life is much more important than another animal life/the environment.
(To be continued)
Conclusion:
Christians should care for the planet and all life on it: but this should not be the main focus of a Christian's life
So considering everything the Bible says about caring for the Earth and all life in it: it can be concluded that Christians should definitely be caring for the Earth/environment and the plants and animals on it; Christians should especially be a prime example of this caring for everyone else to see: Yes, planet Earth is a beautiful holy planet given to humans by God; sadly, it is becoming ever so polluted and destroyed by people who don’t care for the planet God gave them: this is a terrible sin that's often far too neglected in church/by Christians! However, it might not be as important/take priority from spreading the gospel and obeying God in his other laws, yet it is nevertheless still important and sadly often very neglected part of Christian life. So, you should try to do what you can in your ability to help care for the planet and all life you've been given responsibility over.
Things you can do
Start small: do what you can with what you have been given authority over
I have found that doing what you can with what you have been given by God is what should be done:
God has not asked us to fix the entire planet, but rather like Adam (and Eve) to talk care and steward what he has given to you; that is ultimately Jesus’s job when he returns: the same one that created and formed the Earth will one day fix it and restore it: that is another wonderful part of the gospel! However, at the same time we can do our part with what we can while waiting for our salvation.
I may not have power to help great swaths of land like the rainforest or even a local city, But I can rightfully care for my own the yard/land God has given me:
This would mean things like
Caring for the health of the topsoil of your land; making sure it's no depleted nor polluted: this can be done by making sure the soil is not overworked and by cleaning up any pollution/trash in your yard that doesn’t belong there
Being responsible for the plants growing on your property; considering what to wisely do with them and keeping the ones healthy that you do keep: this can be done by keeping them safe from disease giving then nutrients, tilling the soil, pruning them wisely etc.
Being responsible for the animals under your authority; this would include your pets, farm animals, and/or even local wildlife that might come/live in your yard/land: this can be done by treating them well and not abusing them, make sure their needs are cared for as well as you can as possible, doing what is best for them and even (if it can be done safely) helping them out if possible etc.
These are some simple things that about any Christian (or anyone) can do with what they have. Even if you don't have a yard/land nor animals/plants of your own that's okay, Stewart what God has given you! This is the important thing.
Personal testimony of this
This conviction to do this, even before I began to work on this article officially, I was outside in my own yard with my dad one day: we usually walk around my yard when he comes to visit talk and look around at the surroundings, well this one day he happened to look over at some old trash laying in the woods right outside my yard: it had been there for as long as I had been alive (or I think) I saw it but I never thought much about it: it's always been there its practically apart of the background at this point; my dad then says 'Yep there's trash just sitting there and all around this yard; everywhere humans go they leave their trash.' I felt bad about this and said I was sorry, but he then said 'Don't be it's just normal to do that; we even leave our trash in space orbiting the planet' I then felt a pang of sadness: the fact the beautiful planet God had made was being trashed by humans (especially in this modern age) every year, I said 'That's sad' to that he said 'that it is'. That conversation was sort of an eye opener to me: before I never really thought about the trash laying in our yard/the woods: sure it was a tradition to pick up trash on Earth day on the side of the road or even to serve the community as a part of a church mission, but hypocritically I never once though about cleaning up my own yard God gave me: then felt guilty and personally responsible since then; I believe that might have been God's way of making me realize this particular sin consciously for the first time and a call to do something about it: so after that day I told God I would try to clean up the trash that had been sitting for years around our yard (and to vow to try to steward the land he gave us in general) the best I could, and this is how I got the idea to share it on this article.
(To be continued)
Sources:
[1]
[A]
Genesis 1:26 Hebrew interlinear by Bible hub
Website:
https://biblehub.com/text/genesis/1-26.htm
[B]
Strong’s Hebrew concordance #7287--רָדָה (raw-daw')--To rule, to have dominion, to subdue by Biblehub
Website:
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7287.htm
[2]
[A]
Genesis 2:15 Hebrew interlinear by Bible hub
Website:
https://biblehub.com/text/genesis/2-15.htm
[B]
Strong Hebrew Concordance #5647--עָבַד (aw-bad')--To work, serve, labor, worship by Bible hub
Website:
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/5647.htm
[C]
Strong’s Hebrew concordance #8104--”שָׁמַר”(shaw-mar')--To keep, guard, observe, give heed by Biblehub
Website:
https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8104.htm
[3]
From Agric4Profits “The Environmental impacts of continuous cropping in agriculture” by Benadine Chinonyerem on October 20, 2024
Website:
https://agric4profits.com/the-environmental-impacts-of-continuous-cropping-in-agriculture/
[4]
from The Hope of Isreal ministries “Coming! The Transformation of Planet Earth!” by HOIM Staff
Website:
https://hope-of-israel.org/transformation.html
[5]
Examples of devaluing humanity to glorify other life/Earth (based of the false worldview founded on the origin of the theory of evolution):
[A]
“You think man can destroy the planet? What intoxicating vanity. Let me tell you about our planet. Earth is four-and-a-half-billion-years-old. There's been life on it for nearly that long, 3.8 billion years....each one enduring millions on millions of years, great dynasties of creatures rising, flourishing, dying away -- all this against a background of continuous and violent upheaval. Mountain ranges thrust up, eroded away, cometary impacts, volcano eruptions, oceans rising and falling, whole continents moving, an endless, constant, violent change, colliding, buckling to make mountains over millions of years. Earth has survived everything in its time. It will certainly survive us. If all the nuclear weapons in the world went off at once and all the plants, all the animals died and the earth was sizzling hot for a hundred thousand years, life would survive, somewhere: under the soil, frozen in Arctic ice. Sooner or later, when the planet was no longer inhospitable, life would spread again. The evolutionary process would begin again. It might take a few billion years for life to regain its present variety. Of course, it would be very different from what it is now, but the earth would survive our folly, only we would not…This planet lives and breathes on a much vaster scale. We can't imagine its slow and powerful rhythms, and we haven't got the humility to try. We've been residents here for the blink of an eye. If we're gone tomorrow, the earth will not miss us.”
quote from Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park / Congo from goodreads
Website:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/5194.Michael_Crichton
[B]
Deviantart.com "Ego Speciesism Anthropocentrism" by LightBend on Apr 21, 2025
Website:
https://www.deviantart.com/lightbend/art/Ego-Speciesism-Anthropocentrism-1185928099
[C]
(This is a short video darkly ,yet comically, depicting the destruction and pollution humans cause to other living things and the Earth's environment as a whole, while the things depicted are somewhat truly sinful or wrong, notice also it depicts humans as purely evil/sadistic creatures that can only cause destruction and pain to everything they touch [like a virus] and it would be better for everything if they never existed/ were destroyed: notice the video starts off 500,000 years ago; supposedly, when humans came into existence [well ,at least, according to the theory of evolution] further proving what is stated above: that what is believed about origin influences worldview of how humans are perceived by themselves. Viewer discretion is advised!)
Youtube.com "MAN" by Steve Cutts on December 21 2012
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGMYdalClU&t=2s
[D]
(This video literally compares humans to viruses of Earth: specifically, the Covid-19 virus. as stated above: the many things this channel shows are often truly sinful and evil sins by human neglect of animal and plant lives and the well-being of the environment as a whole, HOWEVER even though many of the things mentioned are a sin and it's true human now act like a virus to the world: this video treats humans like a horrible viral mistake that should be locked in a bottle like Covid-19: notice at the end of the video it states Earth is 4.5 billion years old and humanity is 315,000 years; a clear reference to the theory of evolution's timeline instead of what the Bible seems to say: further proving origin definitely defines how humans see the modern crisis and the solution to it).
Youtube.com “ANGRY EARTH - Episode 7: ‘Pandemic HUMAN-19’” by ANGRY EARTH on Feburary 4 2022
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DF7lt97liwk
[E]
(In this short cartoon video, the Earth is described as losing essential parts of its existence and how it would affect it…however, when Earth loses humans, it’s a wonderful thing: no more pollution no more deforestation no more bad unnatural things: Earth is happy, and its moon is happy too! While pollution and misrule of Earth is true and because of humans; this video’s message portrays humans as a plague and curse on Earth, and it would be better if humans never existed in the first place:)
Youtube.com “Earth without humans #space #cosmology #cosmologist #cosmos #earth” by beyond the observable universe on January 3 2025
Website: