The Bible might not have mentioned the word itself, but biblical principles on living have something to say about sustainability. A writer discovers why and how we can make it a way of life.
Eliza Tan
As you can tell, my father really doesn’t care much about recycling or sustainability. He dumps all kinds of trash down the rubbish chute (“They end up in the same rubbish dump anyway”). He uses wet wipes at home indiscriminately (“So convenient!”). And he rejected my suggestion to use recyclable bags for his grocery shopping (“We need plastic bags to throw rubbish”).
Even the 5-cent “plastic bag tax” implemented in July 2023 to reduce waste hasn’t deterred him from taking plastic bags from supermarkets (“Just pay lah!”).
How much do these efforts really motivate us towards reducing waste and living sustainably?, I wonder. I’ve seen sustainability fads come and go, but most people around me are still living the same way. In 2019, metal straws and reusable cutlery aimed at cutting plastics were all the rage, but the boom in food delivery during and after the pandemic seemed to have erased any headway in this area.
These sustainability efforts might seem like a proverbial drop in the South China Sea. Ironically, however, sea levels are rising because of climate change, which threatens the safety of coastal inhabitants and small islands like Singapore.
Your eyes might have glazed over the phrase “climate change” by now, but its effects are real—and happening right before our eyes. Even the high temperatures of 37°C we endured in May 2023 can be attributed to climate change.
I even have friends who shared that climate change is a major deterrence in starting a family. Some even say (half in jest) that not having children is their contribution to sustainability! A global survey, conducted by consultancy GlobeScan in July 2022, revealed that four out of 10 adults polled do not want to have children because of global warming.
As much as I lament the disruptions to lives and destruction to the environment, I won’t deny the self-centred question in my head: Why should I care?
Why should I care, if I’ve got another 40-plus years on this earth, presuming that I reach the average lifespan of a Singaporean female?
Why should I care, when I don’t have children who will suffer the effects of a deteriorating environment?
Why should I care, when the Bible says there will be a new heaven and new earth?
God’s Mandate
to Be Caretakers
Whether or not I would personally suffer the effects of a deteriorating earth does not absolve me of the responsibility of caring for it, as Scripture reveals.
God made, owns, and loves the earth (Genesis 1; Psalm 24:1, 145:9). And He delegated to us the responsibility of dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:27–28; Psalm 8).
In the Discovery Series Discovering the Wonder of a Tree, educator and naturalist Dean Ohlman draws a link from these truths: God is the landlord, and we are His caretakers.
The Greek word for “steward” is oikonomeo, where we derive the word “economy”. According to Ohlman, the word “economics” was originally defined as the operations of a steward overseeing the production, distribution, and consumption on his landlord’s estate. Similarly, we are to steward the earth with the same relationship and responsibilities to God, our landlord.
When God instructed Adam to “tend” and “keep” the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15), the Hebrew words used were illuminating: “tend” (abad) means to till, work, and serve; “keep” (shamar) means to have charge of, save life, protect, preserve, abstain, and/or celebrate. They convey an idea of not just dominion over, but also
A Case for Good Stewardship
So, the Bible makes it clear that we should care about the environment because God instructs us to steward natural resources well. My next question is: How can I care? Again, we can glean principles from Scripture on how to steward well. In another Discovery Series by Ohlman, Celebrating the Wonder of Creation, he shares the following principles:
Use resources responsibly
Our relative affluence and access to global trade has made it easy for many Singaporeans to over-consume. For example, new clothes used to be a treat for festive holidays; now, we can purchase affordable and trendy fast fashion anytime, anywhere. Our burgeoning wardrobes even spill over to local charities and thrift stores, where clothing donations can become so overwhelming that some reject them.
In Jesus’ parables in Luke 16:1–2 and Matthew 25:14–30, the masters called the stewards out for their wastefulness. While the point of Jesus’ parables was to teach a wider lesson about being faithful and accountable to God, this also rightly includes how we handle our material resources.
So, what does not being wasteful look like? It could be translated into simple, everyday practices, such as keeping track of expiry dates of food in the fridge, taking only what you can eat at a buffet, and carrying a water bottle to reduce the need to buy bottled water.
Jesus also warned us that “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Before we consider buying that third sleeveless, white top (maybe that’s just me), perhaps we can ask ourselves, “Do I really need this?” This requires self-restraint in our personal lifestyle choices.
Carry out our duties to our Master faithfully and diligently
If the above is about saying “no” to wasting or consuming more, then we should also consider what we should say “yes” to. As the earlier parables emphasise the faithful servants getting to work while the masters are away, we, too, can intentionally care for what’s entrusted to us.
Rather than procrastinate over what to do, we can take little steps towards living a more sustainable lifestyle. This could look like . . .
I have started bringing used glass bottles to the recycling bin and looking for appropriate collection points to dispose my electronic waste. It does not take a lot of effort or energy to do these. I’ve even joined a network of book lovers to exchange books, so that pre-loved books can fill up home libraries and not landfills.
Celebrate with God’s creation
Beholding a beautiful sunset and knowing that we have a personal relationship with the One behind it is a privilege. Just as “the heavens declare the glory of God; [and] the skies proclaim the work of his hands”, we too can join God’s creation in worshipping Him (Psalm 19:1).
One way we rejoice in the wonder of God is when we celebrate and care for His created environment. It humbles and reminds us that
In light of this, could it be that our failure to cherish and care for creation means that we might not be worshipping God as we should? Writer T.S. Eliot puts forth this thought: “A wrong attitude toward nature implies, somewhere, a wrong attitude toward God.”
As we take delight in God’s creation around us, may it stir in us the right attitude towards our Creator and His handiwork upon which we depend.
***
Will adopting any of these measures make any significant impact to sustainability? Truth is, I don’t know. But in the end, what motivates me to do my bit for God’s created environment is knowing that I will one day account to Jesus himself for what I have done (and not done)—even in how I steward the earth (Romans 14:12).
God sees, knows, and judges our every intention and effort. So let’s endeavour to do what we can—even if it’s starting out small by collecting a blue box to sort our recyclables.
Although Eliza Tan eats to live rather than lives to eat, she still enjoys her food and wholeheartedly agrees with Ecclesiastes 3:13, "That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God."
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