Devotions from Lisa McMinn’s book The Contented Soul

Do we live as though the earth belongs to us or as though we belong to the earth?  Another way to say it, do we view the earth as primarily a resource to harness and use or as a gift put under our stewardship to protect, conserve and preserve? The earth is a sacred space for it is God’s creation.  “Contentment is a byproduct of living rightly, properly understanding our obligatory relationship to creation.”  Our technological advances and consumption of resources need to take into account the impact and implications of our choices. In the U.S. it takes 24 acres of land and water to support what one person uses. There are only 4.5 productive acres per person in the world, and we need to learn how use less in sustaining our lives.  When we truly appreciate the gift of creation and its blessings, we will want to walk gently and leave a small footprint, to use resources carefully. There are so many wonderful things about creation that give us pleasure and cause us to praise and honor God.  Let us leave a legacy that shows we have walked respectfully of the earth, mindful of those who came before us and those who will come after us.