Back in December 2009 I wrote a post about an inspiring book called Serve God, Save the Planet by Matthew Sleeth. As I studied week 6 of The 7 Experiment, focusing on waste and being a responsible steward of God’s creation, I reflected on my family’s buying/recycling/conservation habits.
I’m happy to report that I have continued with the changes I decided to make 3 years ago. We recycle now more than ever, keeping our weekly trash to around 1 bag, and I “precycle” as much as possible by buying in bulk and paying attention to how products are packaged before bringing them home. I still keep the thermostat at 66 degrees in the winter (summer is MUCH harder for me!), intentionally reduce junk mail, take reusable bags when I go shopping, and compost our food scraps.
Even with all that, I’d like to do more. I want to remember to bring my own “to go” containers to restaurants for bringing home leftovers. I want to sew some cloth napkins. I’d like to grow a garden and put those compost scraps to good use! And I’d like to shop regularly at farmer’s markets and thrift stores.
Reuse. Reduce. Recycle.
What does all this have to do with God? Well, in the words of the author of 7, “You cannot worship the Creator and at the same time destroy His creation, which was meant to glorify Him.” Doing so practically puts you at odds with God Himself. He gave us beautiful forests, petroleum, clean air and healthy ecosystems. He even gave us diamonds and gold! And what do we do? We ravage the land, profit from the natural resources, and exploit the local labor. This is NOT what God intended.
Look at two definitions:
Steward: a person who manages another’s property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.
Consumer: a person or thing that consumes (to destroy or expend by use; use up).
Which would you rather be? The next time you’re at the store, don’t think of yourself as a consumer, think of yourself as a steward, and see if your purchases reflect this change. Be a steward at home, in the kitchen and bathroom…what changes can you make to conserve energy and water? Give recycling a try… it doesn’t take any more effort to throw a bottle in the green container than the black trash can. There is so much you can do to take care of God’s creation. Why not begin today?
