God’s Caretakers

Read

Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’”

Think

Does your class have a pet – maybe a hamster named Peanut, or a goldfish, or a lizard that sits under a heat lamp all day?

Sometimes a teacher lets a student take the class pet home for the weekend. And that’s a big deal! You carry the cage to the car so carefully. You feed Peanut on time. You fill up his water. You make sure the cat stays far away from his cage. On Monday, you bring him back safe and happy.

Why? Because someone trusted you with something they care about.

That is a lot like the job God gave people right after he made them.

After God made the first people, he blessed them. Then he gave them a job. He told them to fill the earth and to rule over the fish, the birds, and every living creature.

“Rule” might sound like being a bossy king. But that’s not what God meant. God is a kind and loving ruler. When he made people in his image, he wanted them to rule the way he does. With care and kindness, like a good caretaker.

God made a beautiful world and then said, in a way, “Here. I’m trusting you with this.”

That’s a pretty amazing job. Being made in God’s image means you get to help take care of the things God cares about.

So what does a caretaker kid look like? It looks like being gentle with your pets. It looks like picking up trash at the park, even if you didn’t drop it. It looks like not wasting food or water. It looks like being careful with your little brother’s toys.

And don’t forget, people are part of God’s world too. Taking care of God’s world means taking care of the people in it.

Here is the cool part. God didn’t have to give us a job. He could have done everything himself. But he chose to include us. He invited us to be part of his work.

So today, remember that God trusts you. You are one of his caretakers.

Apply

Take care of something – Pick one thing to take care of today. Feed your pet without being asked, water a plant, or pick up three pieces of trash outside.

Pray

God, thank you for making such a beautiful world. Thank you for trusting me to help take care of it. Help me be gentle and kind with everything you made. In Jesus’ name. Amen.