© Deborah Kunzie – Photographer
“And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.”
Genesis 2:15, KJV
From the beginning, man was given work to do.
Before sin entered the world, before thorns and sweat and sorrow, God placed Adam in the garden and gave him responsibility. The earth was not his to abuse. It was not his to worship. It was his to tend.
That is still a truth worth remembering.
The use of land, water, energy, and resources is growing at a remarkable pace. Homes, businesses, industries, cities, farms, roads, and now massive data centers all depend on the natural world in some way. Even the invisible things we use every day, such as search engines, websites, cloud storage, artificial intelligence tools, email, and online stores, are not truly invisible. They run through physical buildings, machines, wires, cooling systems, electricity, and water.
The International Energy Agency estimated that data centers used about 415 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2024, around 1.5 percent of global electricity use. That use has been rising quickly as more of the world depends on digital tools and artificial intelligence. In the United States, the Department of Energy has reported that data center energy load has tripled over the past decade and could double or triple again by 2028.
Those facts should not make Christians fearful, bitter, or angry. But they should make us thoughtful.
The Bible does not tell us to reject tools, work, building, knowledge, or invention. Scripture is full of craftsmen, builders, farmers, scribes, merchants, rulers, and laborers. God gave man the ability to reason, design, cultivate, and make use of the world around him.
But the Bible also teaches that the earth belongs first to God.
“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
Psalm 24:1, KJV
That one verse changes the way we look at everything.
The land is not merely a product. Water is not merely a supply line. Energy is not merely a bill to be paid. Trees, rivers, soil, animals, seasons, and harvests are not accidents. They belong to the Lord. We are not owners in the highest sense. We are stewards.
A steward manages what belongs to another.
That means stewardship is not just about money. It is also about land, time, ability, influence, knowledge, and resources. It is about asking whether we are using what God has made with wisdom, restraint, gratitude, and care.
This is not a call to gloom. It is a call to faithfulness.
Dominion Does Not Mean Destruction
“And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…”
Genesis 1:28, KJV
Some people read the word “subdue” as if it gives man permission to take without thought. Scripture never presents authority that way. Godly authority is never careless. It is never cruel. It is never selfish.
The same God who gave man dominion also commanded him to “dress” and “keep” the garden.
To dress means to work it.
To keep means to guard it.
That balance matters.
Man may cultivate the field, but he should not poison it.
Man may build, but he should not forget what his building costs.
Man may use technology, but he should not pretend it has no earthly footprint.
Modern data centers are a good example. They can support helpful things: medical research, communication, education, business tools, weather forecasting, Bible study resources, disaster response, and countless daily tasks. But they also require electricity, cooling, land, and in some places, large amounts of water.
Google says data centers generate heat and must be cooled in order to operate, and that cooling decisions often involve a tradeoff between energy and water use. Microsoft also explains that data center efficiency is measured partly by power usage and water usage, and that local climate affects both.
This is not evil in itself. It is simply reality.
Christians should be able to look at reality without panic and without denial. We can say, “This tool may be useful,” and also ask, “Is it being used wisely?”
The Earth Teaches Us Restraint
God built restraint into the life of Israel.
The land was to have rest.
“But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.”
Leviticus 25:4, KJV
This command was not only agricultural. It taught dependence. It reminded the people that the land was not just a machine. It could not be endlessly pressed without thought. It needed rest because God commanded rest.
That principle still speaks.
We may not live under Israel’s national land laws today, but the wisdom remains. God’s creation is not something to be squeezed endlessly for profit, speed, convenience, or appetite. The earth has rhythms. Soil can be exhausted. Water can be wasted. Air can be polluted. People can be harmed when industry forgets the neighbor.
The Bible often joins love for God with honest treatment of others. Stewardship is not only about forests and fields. It’s also about people who live near the decisions being made.
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Matthew 22:39, KJV
If a project uses land, water, or power in a way that affects nearby homes, towns, farms, or future generations, then the Christian question should not be only, “Can this be done?” It should also be, “Can this be done with care?”
That is a far better question.
Technology Should Serve People, Not Rule Them
Technology is a tool. It can help us work better, learn faster, communicate across distance, and solve problems that once seemed impossible. But tools must remain servants.
When tools begin to rule our habits, consume our attention, shape our desires, and demand more and more of the world around us, wisdom asks us to pause.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.”
Ephesians 5:15, KJV
To walk circumspectly means to walk carefully. That applies to our private lives, our homes, our churches, our businesses, and our use of modern tools.
A Christian does not need to reject every new invention. But neither should we accept every new invention without thought. We should ask sober questions.
Does this help me serve God better?
Does this help me love my neighbor?
Does this help me work honestly?
Does this encourage wisdom, or does it feed distraction?
Does this use resources in a way that honors the Creator?
Those are not political questions. They are spiritual ones.
Gratitude Changes How We Use the World
One of the simplest ways to become a better steward is to become more thankful.
A thankful person wastes less.
When we see water as a gift, we are less careless with it.
When we see land as God’s handiwork, we are slower to ruin it.
When we see food as provision, we are less likely to despise it.
When we see energy as a resource, we are more likely to use it wisely.
The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.”
Psalm 145:9, KJV
God’s mercy is seen in rain, seed, harvest, shade, rivers, fruit, animals, and the daily order of creation. The world is not God, and we must never worship it. But the world does bear witness to Him.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”
Psalm 19:1, KJV
When Christians care about the earth, it should not be because we have adopted the fear of the age. It should be because we believe the earth is the Lord’s.
We care because He made it.
We care because He owns it.
We care because He entrusted part of it to us.
A Hopeful Kind of Stewardship
Biblical stewardship does not have to be loud, angry, or despairing. It can be quiet and faithful.
It may look like planting trees, keeping a garden, reducing waste, repairing instead of discarding, supporting wise local decisions, teaching children to respect the land, using technology with purpose, or simply paying attention to what our conveniences require.
It may also mean praying for those who build, regulate, design, and manage modern systems. They need wisdom. Many of the decisions being made today about energy, water, technology, and land will shape communities for years to come.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not…”
James 1:5, KJV
We should ask God for wisdom in a world that is moving quickly.
Wisdom does not mean fear of the future.
Wisdom does not mean hatred of technology.
Wisdom does not mean pretending there are no costs.
Wisdom means remembering God.
The Christian life is not lived apart from the earth. We live on it. We eat from it. We drink from its waters. We build with its materials. We warm and cool our homes through its resources. We bury our loved ones in its soil. We wait for the day when God will make all things new.
Until then, we are called to faithfulness.
Not ownership without accountability.
Not use without gratitude.
Not progress without wisdom.
Not convenience without care.
“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof.”
Psalm 24:1, KJV
That is where Christian stewardship begins.
And that is where it should return.
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