I hope your response to the question above would be a roaring yes! I am just returning from our latest Ablaze conference at Ambernath, which is in the central suburbs of Mumbai. And during our time there, we got invited into a lot of homes. Every home that we went into were good and beautiful, however the surrounding areas were shabby and unclean. And Rashmi told me this thing that really bothered me, “If I stay here long enough, I think I will begin littering too”
As Christians it is so easy to get caught up with the spirituality and the seemingly more godly responsibilities, that we tend to forget that God expects more from us.
Genesis 2:15: “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.”
God has placed each of us in a particular land that we need to tend and watch over continually. Yes, we’re not living in a place as beautiful as the garden of Eden, but still it is part of one of our moral responsibilities to watch over the land that God has placed us over.
Jesus, taught us to pray likewise; “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt 6:10) When we pray that prayer, we’re bound to also commit our lives to be the channels that God would use to let God’s kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.
I remember the time, when God convicted my heart to keep my home clean and tidy, since that’s where God meets with me regularly. I believe the same is applicable when it comes to the land that God has placed us in. Do you believe that God will visit your land and that it would be a place where His glory dwells? If you do, then it is your responsibility to tend the land and continually watch over it.
What are some of the practical ways in which a Christian can be environmental friendly?
- Avoid littering at all costs! (for those residing or travelling anywhere in India, this is such a great temptation, cause of the lack of garbage bins everywhere)
- Go out of your way to keep your home and your surroundings clean. (even if you’ve to spend time and energy on the same)
- Use fuel that is environment friendly, and maintain your vehicle service continually to make sure you don’t contribute to pollution.
- Do not pollute the water bodies in the land, whichever way you might end up doing so, even if that causes inconvenience to you.
- Respect and promote greenery to the best of your capabilities. That includes cutting down on your paper usage as long as there is a more ecofriendly way of doing the same.
- Spread the awareness of the presence of God in your neighbourhood and in the land, and educate others to follow your pattern.
These are only few of the things that I can think off, that I plan and purpose to do, to continually to host God in the land that God has placed me in.
Do you know of anything that I am missing? Please feel free to share it in the comments below, and I hope it will be encouragement for me and the others too.