Q—My friend and I argue about environmental issues.  He doesn’t think Christians should be worried about it, but I do.  What do you think?

A—I think we should not worry about anything (Matthew 6:31-34).  I think we should also be wise stewards of all of God’s blessings, including our environment.  However, that doesn’t necessarily mean we must save the planet.  Before we can determine was wise stewardship looks like, we must ask ourselves, “What does our Master desire that we do with His property?”

So, does God want us to save His planet?  I doubt it.  Genesis 3:17 clearly teaches that God cursed the Creation and Romans 8:20-22 supports this.  The New Testament also foresees a day when God will destroy this earth with fire and create a new earth in its place (2 Peter 3:12; Revelation 21:1).  Since He cursed it and will destroy it, I don’t think He wants us to save it.

So, what does He want us to do?  Genesis 1 pictures all of creation as a life support system for mankind.  It teaches us that mankind sits at the pinnacle of the created order—and everything else is intended to support our life.  Wise stewardship, then, is caring for the planet to maximize human life.  From shelter to clothing to gainful employment and all that life entails, we are to invest Creation in support of all aspects of human existence.  This means all environmental policy, personal or national, must be judged by its impact upon people.