Stewarding Our Relationship with Creation By Dr. Zenet Maramara

Stewards Care for God’s Creation

Among the four fundamental relationships that stewards must nurture—our relationships with God, ourselves, others, and creation—our relationship with creation is often neglected.

As image-bearers of God, we are entrusted with the privilege and responsibility of caring for His creation. Genesis 1:26-28 commands us to multiply and sustain the earth’s resources, a directive given to Adam to tend and keep God’s creation (Genesis 2:15).

God deeply loves and cares for creation. He was pleased with the heavens and the earth and all they contain. The earth’s goodness is meant for all humankind to enjoy and bring glory to God. Although sin has marred all our relationships, including our connection with creation, God sent Jesus Christ to reconcile all things to Himself.

Creation Care and the Great Commission

The issue of creation care is identified as one of the 25 key ministry gaps in the Fourth Lausanne Congress 2024, which aims to accelerate the Great Commission. I agree with Lausanne that there is a significant gap between evangelism and discipleship. This gap exists because of inadequate teaching or theology that emphasizes the spiritual while undermining the importance of the material world.

Two Essential Points

Building on the Lausanne Cape Town Commitment 2010, the Jamaica Call to Action in 2012 gathered theologians, church leaders, scientists, and creation care practitioners. They concluded two essential points:

1. Creation care is a gospel issue under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is an integral part of our mission and expresses our worship of God. Our ministry of reconciliation brings great joy and hope, compelling us to care for creation, even if it weren’t in crisis.
2. We are facing a pressing and urgent crisis that must be addressed in our generation. Environmental violence impacts the world’s poor, biodiversity, climate change, deforestation, pollution, and food security. Creation care is a justice issue that demands our love for God and neighbors through urgent and prophetic ecological responsibility.

The Call to Action

In response to these conclusions, the Jamaica Call to Action challenges us to adopt the following commitments:

1. Embrace a simple lifestyle.
2. Engage in robust theological work.
3. Foster leadership from the church in the Global South.
4. Mobilize the entire church and engage all of society.
5. Pursue environmental missions among unreached people groups.
6. Take radical action to confront climate change.
7. Promote sustainable practices in food production.
8. Develop an economy that aligns with God’s creation.
9. Encourage local expressions of creation care.
10. Advocate prophetically and pursue healing and reconciliation.

Question for Personal Reflection

Does my work and lifestyle align with God’s ongoing work of redemption and renewal in the world?

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Dr. Zenet Maramara is the founder and president of the Christian Stewards, Philippines, and co-founder of Christians in Conversation, a Rocha-associated project. CSA promotes biblical stewardship, giving, and generosity. She served as chair of the Global Trust Partners and was a professor of biblical stewardship at the Asian Theological Seminary in Manila.

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