“Ever since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes of eternal power and divinity have been able to be understood and perceived in what he has made” (Romans 1:20). To properly steward creation, then, is to view nature as a revelation of God’s great glory. The Book of Genesis teaches us that when God creates the human form, He bestows upon us His image and likeness. Incorporated in our resemblance to God is our call to cooperate with our Creator to care for His creation. We plant, preserve, protect, and pass on the beauty and balance of the natural environment as our spiritual and social responsibility.
To be a Christian steward is to begin with a reverence for the world as a gift created by God, sustained by His wisdom, and entrusted to humanity to nurture and cultivate. We assume stewardship of our planet, knowing that God intends for us to maintain its natural beauty and life-sustaining resources for future generations. As Christian stewards, we live with restraint, gratitude, and humility as we accept that we are custodians–not owners–of this vast cosmos.
In their 2001 Statement on Global Climate Change, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops state:
“As people of faith, we are convinced that ‘the earth is the Lord’s and all it holds’ (Psalm 24:1). Our Creator has given us the gift of creation: the air we breathe, the water that sustains life, the fruits of the land that nourish us, and the entire web of life without which human life cannot flourish. All of this God created and found ‘very good.’”
The Second Vatican Council reminds us that as we build up our world, we also contribute to the Kingdom of God. When we view our work through the lens of collaborating with this divine objective, all of our humble efforts are glorified for the benefit of our common good. As such, we distribute our bounty ethically and justly, we safeguard the dignity of all life, and we discern prudently when to conserve and when to construct. Pope Leo XIV observes that “Care for creation is truly a vocation for every human being. We are creatures among creatures, entrusted with the responsibility to care for all that the Creator has made.”
To care for creation is to respond to this sacred trust, avoiding exploitation in our efforts to “till and keep” the land (Genesis 2:15). Pope Saint John Paul II explains how our privilege comes with limitations and demands reasonable accountability.
“The dominion granted to man by the Creator is not an absolute power, nor can one speak of a freedom to ‘use and misuse,’ or to dispose of things as one pleases. The limitation imposed from the beginning by the Creator himself and expressed symbolically by the prohibition not to ‘eat of the fruit of the tree’ (cf. Genesis 2:16-17) shows clearly enough that, when it comes to the natural world, we are subject not only to biological laws but also to moral ones, which cannot be violated with impunity. A true concept of development cannot ignore the use of the elements of nature, the renewability of resources and the consequences of haphazard industrialization–three considerations which alert our consciences to the moral dimension of development” (Sollicitudo rei Socialis, no. 34).
Therefore, good stewards realize that misuse of the earth’s resources has the potential for injustice, especially when creation is treated merely as a commodity to be dominated. From this foundation, prudent stewardship of the environment becomes an act of justice, not just toward the earth, but also toward our neighbors and future generations. It is bound up in the Church’s vision for a just and holy society that perpetuates of the common good. Pope Francis elaborates:
“The natural environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone. If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for the good of all. If we do not, we burden our consciences with the weight of having denied the existence of others” (Laudato Si’, no. 95).
To hold the world with care is to mirror the heart of God and to live out the Christian life in the deepest sense. In caring for creation, we open ourselves to the mystery of His presence in the world, recognizing that the same Christ who will one day renew all things invites us now to participate in this divine and human collaboration. This week, consider what you can guard instead of what you can get and what you can spare instead of what you can use. Reflect on these words from Saint Francis of Assisi: “Praised be you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains us and directs us bringing forth all kinds of fruits and colored flowers and herbs.” How can you praise the Lord by treating His creation as a cherished part of your family?
