Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28)

From “the Beginning,” God has made man the custodians of the earth and all living things. Such a responsibility tasks humanity with the stewardship of all creation – not its exploitation. This is further underscored a few verses later in 2:15:

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.

Although the Bible does not directly speak to modern ecological issues, there are foundational principles given throughout scripture that provide a framework for understanding mankind’s role as steward over the earth. In addition to God’s instruction in Genesis, for example, we see evidence of these in His directions to give rest to the land (Leviticus 25) and avoid waste (John 6:12).

Perhaps the strongest direction comes in the Lord’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” – and to understand that His instruction applies even to those yet to be born.

Here is a beautiful song from my friend Tom Mohr that will offer inspiration to those of us that understand our obligation to future generations.