I once wrote a poem about my dog’s collar – Beauty’s sun-worn red collar that had a heart tag attached to it that jingled when she shook her head. In the poem, I attempted to convey what that collar had enclosed in the shape of my childhood dog and what it meant now that she was gone, as symbolized within the empty collar sitting on a shelf. But the writing form couldn’t fully capture the enjoyment of our friendship and the grief of loss. The floppy ears and joyful face of my furry friend. The years spent playing and growing together. Words were insufficient to explain how an animal had impacted my life.
Yet there doesn’t appear to be a scarcity of words from those that consider that caring for animals is an unspiritual endeavor. Some Christians insist that animals, including pets, is not going to be present in Heaven or on the New Earth. There is not any reason to make caring for animals a priority since it will not be a spiritual task, like reading the Bible or evangelizing.
I need to personally show these believers pictures of my childhood dog and share stories of how Beauty had been a friend to me during painful and lonely times. Countless others could likely share similar experiences with pets and even wild animals that they had seen or noticed. Like the cheerful sound of birdsong within the morning, the awe of spotting a doe while walking in a wooded area, or the wild majesty of an elephant or lion at a zoo.
Yes, only humans were made within the image of God. The children of Adam and Eve are those whom Jesus died for to avoid wasting. However, if we consider that the gospel message is far-reaching and that someday our Lord will bring renewal to all creation, then should we not strive to be good stewards of animals? Compartmentalizing our lives and assigning certain activities, like how we interact with the natural world, as unrelated to the Christian life, misses the holistic nature of our faith.
Scripture gives us quite a few the reason why we must always care in regards to the proper stewardship of animals.
God Created Animals and Placed Us as Stewards Over Them
For those struggling to consider that their faith impacts how they view the natural world, a return to the book of Genesis is helpful. The creation account cuts through the concept that the fabric world is in some way bad and the spiritual realm is all that matters. God is the One who brought the universe and earth into existence. He crafted the creatures of the air, sea, and land to fill the world – something He declared excellent (Genesis 1:31).
And when He created humans in His image, He gave us the special task of reigning over all of the creatures of the earth (Genesis 1:26-28). The words “dominion” and “subdue” often evoke thoughts of forcibly using or controlling one other for one’s personal plans. However, the Lord had stated that He had made Adam and Eve in His image, meaning that they had the capability to act justly and reign in righteousness, just because the Lord rules over all things. The first people were made to take care of the earth and the animals, managing them as sensible stewards.
Before the fall, humans had a joyful bond with the varied sorts of animals and lived in harmony with them. Only when sin entered the world was man’s relationship with the natural world tarnished. An animal needed to be slaughtered to cover their nakedness, showing that sin brought death and the necessity for blood to be shed – a foreshadowing of the necessity for Jesus’ sacrificial death because the Lamb of God (Genesis 3:21). ‘
In the longer term, the peace between humans and animals might be restored after the Lord’s return. Babies and youngsters will give you the chance to walk and play with domestic and wild animals alike (see Isaiah 11:6-9). With such a day coming and the command to act as sensible stewards still in place, we must always understand why animals are our concern, including pets, livestock, and the wild animals of the earth.
Provisions within the Law Emphasized Proper Care of Animals
In the Law that God gave to Israel, He included many commands that related to how they treated animals. The person liable for an ox or donkey falling right into a pit and dying was held accountable since those animals were vital to farming and traveling (see Exodus 21:33-34). Similarly, a one who was entrusted with taking care of the livestock of their neighbor and did not take care of and protect the animals needed to make restitution (Exodus 22:10-15). Careless stewardship had consequences.
Livestock also received the identical command to rest because the Israelites and their servants. In His instructions for the Sabbath, the Lord told Israel that even the animals needed to stop work on the Sabbath (Deuteronomy 5:14). Observing this command would bring honor to the Lord while also giving much-needed time to rest. This emphasis on rest, for humans and animals alike, shows that how we take care of the people and animals entrusted to us matters to the Lord.
The Israelites needed these laws to assist them understand that what they achieved was not in their very own strength, and what they possessed got here from the Lord. He is the Owner of all things. As He said, “all of the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I do know every bird on the mountains, and all of the animals of the sphere are mine” (Psalm 50:10-11, NLT). Because of this, He is anxious with their welfare (see also Jonah 4:11).
Our Faith and the Treatment of Animals
The writer of the beloved classic Black Beauty, Anna Sewell, wrote to advertise the humane treatment of horses. She was a follower of Jesus, and a part of her critique comes from the religion of the characters. In one instance within the story, John tells James, the stable boy, “There is not any religion without love, and folks may talk as much as they like about their religion, but when it doesn’t teach them to be good and sort to man and beast, it’s all a sham – all a sham, James, and it won’t stand when things come to be turned inside out and put down for what they’re” (Sewell, Black Beauty, Dalmatian Press, 2011, p. 54).
Our relationship with Jesus directly affects how we act. A one who is walking closely with the Savior, in search of to obey and honor Him in all the things they do, will show their faith through deeds. This includes how they view and steward animals.
Proverbs tell us that “The righteous take care of the needs of their animals, however the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel” (Proverbs 12:10, NIV). A Christian needs to be concerned with animal welfare, which might be reflected of their views and decisions. Such decisions is not going to only relate to their immediate pets. For example, dogs and horses utilized in racing are sometimes mistreated. By viewing and participating in these races, an individual is giving their consent to the proceedings and contributing to the cruel use of animals. Those who seek to follow the Bible is not going to wish to support such harm.
Or consider the person who hunts only as sport to gather trophies. It is one thing to hunt for food, however it is one other to kill animals purely for fun. A believer with a steward mindset will rigorously consider the aim and impact of their actions before hunting.
Although Christians may commonly hear people discuss having dominion over the earth when it comes to using resources and animals as goods, we are supposed to take care of the needs of animals with ethical methods. Issues like using animals in sports or the preservation of endangered species might sound unrelated to our faith. However, our walk with Christ should impact this area of life, just because it should affect every part.
God Notices Even the Little Sparrow
Encouraging the disciples to not be afraid as they went out to evangelise the excellent news of the Kingdom, Jesus spoke in regards to the Father’s care of sparrows. These birds were repeatedly sold in pairs for the small price of a penny – of not much value from a human standpoint. Yet, the Father sees when one little bird falls to the bottom, and they are still inside His care (Matthew 10:29). If the Father cares for the sparrows, how way more beneficial were the lives of the disciples (Matthew 10:31).
The point of Jesus’ message was to comfort the disciples and remind them that their lives had value. However, we also see from the Lord’s words that God cares about even the smallest of animals, including those who humans easily overlook.
Oftentimes, birds and other animals are an element of our day by day existence. We see sparrows or robins hopping around our homes or in city parking lots. Squirrels jump from the limbs of trees. Depending on where we live, there are other types of wildlife that inhabit our landscapes. We can overlook their existence, but God doesn’t. He cares for them and is anxious with how we interact and steward them.
So, we must ask ourselves: If God made all of the creatures of the earth, notices how we treat them, and is anxious even in regards to the smallest animals, then why do we predict that being involved in animal stewardship is unimportant and unrelated to the Christian life?
Perhaps we want to reconsider the teachings of Scripture and recognize our responsibility to take care of creation – from our furry friends to the tiny sparrow.
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Robert Bottman
