Teaching Kids to Be Stewards of God’s World

Teaching Kids to Be Stewards of God's World - Parenting Like HannahThe unfortunate thing about the current “green” movement is they have radicalized it politically to the point many Christians reject anything to do with taking care of the world God gave us. Yet, God commands us to be good stewards. Although he doesn’t give us a list of the precise things he expects us to steward, I think it is safe to assume He expects us to care for any gifts He has given us. In my book, His creation is one of those gifts.

So how can a Christian parent teach good stewardship without wandering into the New Age idea of the earth being some sort of goddess (Mother Earth) or the almost earth worship promoted by many “green” groups and people? Should we walk away from the movement entirely in protest, throwing our trash by the side of the road to emphasize how wrong they are about God and creation? I honestly believe there are ways to teach conservation and good stewardship of God’s creation and still keep our children firmly connected to God.

  • Teach your children creation is not something to be worshipped. Rather creation was given to us by God to point us back to worshipping Him as the Creator.
  • Impress upon your children God is the Creator. Period. There are so many gifted and recognized scientists who believe in and worship God as the Creator. Evolution and rejection of God is not the only valid science. It is a theory that has more and more parts of it disproved every year. Use resources published by Christian scientists if necessary to help a child who is struggling with her belief in God as the Creator.
  • Do research with your children and discuss the results. Groups can have very valid ideas for being good stewards of God’s creation even if their basic beliefs or agendas have ungodly elements. This is a great way to begin teaching your children how to separate godly things from ungodly things when they read.
  • Take the time to teach your children critical thinking skills. There are lots of great books for children that teach them to spot logical fallacies in arguments. I am a firm believer all Christians should have continued, regular training in critical thinking skills. It would save many from being swayed with false teachings including any promoted by environmental groups.
  • Teach your children simple prevention steps to keep from doing more harm to God’s creation. Throwing trash away properly can make a huge difference. Not eating grouper can save an entire species of fish. (Thanks Atlanta Aquarium for that important lesson.) Recycling can reduce the size of trash dumps and lessen the need for removing natural resources to create new goods.
  • Help your children participate in corrective measures to undo the destruction others have done to creation. Pick up trash others leave behind (Use safety precautions. Some trash is very unsafe to handle.). Plant trees and plants in your yard to help clean the air.

Have fun with the process of caring for God’s creation. Be creative. What you and your family believe is appropriate in light of God’s Word may vary slightly from the beliefs of another Christian family. The important part is teaching our children to actively become good stewards of everything God has given us – including His creation.

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Thereasa Winnett

Thereasa Winnett is the founder of Teach One Reach One and blogger at Parenting Like Hannah. She holds a BA in education from the College of William and Mary. She has served in all areas of ministry to children and teens for more than thirty years and regularly leads workshops for ministries and churches. She has conducted numerous workshops, including sessions at Points of Light’s National Conference on Volunteering and Service, the National Urban Ministry Conference, Pepperdine Bible Lectures, and Lipscomb’s Summer Celebration. Thereasa lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband Greg, where she enjoys reading, knitting, traveling and cooking.

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