Together in Christ: 'Made to Be Caretakers of Grace' — Geneis 1:26

As humans, we live on the earth and in the universe that God has made to declare His glory. ^[1] God gave us the responsibility to "reign" over His creation. However, our "reign" means we are stewards, ^[2] not bullies or abusers, of what God designed and made. We must honor God with what we do with His world. We don't own the world; God created it all, as well as the universe that surrounds our small blue planet. It's His, not ours. ^[3] Because of human sin, the creation that God created perfectly is now in bondage until Jesus' return and the coming of the new heavens and earth. ^[4]

God made us with an integral connection with our world. He made us of the same stuff as the earth, and we will return to that same stuff when we die. ^[5] We are here as caretakers for Him. Part of our relationship with God is demonstrated by how we live in connection with His creation — how well we live in and care for His great creation. God's creation should remind us of God's power and goodness, both of which can help us understand Him better. In return, God chooses to speak to us through the beauty and majesty of His universe. They remind us how great He is and how small we are, yet despite our smallness, He chooses to love us, redeem us and set things right by making it all new one day!