Faithful Stewards

Lately, I have been reading about living a more "natural" life and therefore undergoing a slow transformation in my diet and in my home.  Why am I taking on this long, difficult (yet very important) task?  Because I believe that God calls His people to live in a way that encourages health in our bodies, homes and environment.  God created the fruits, vegetables and animals and called them "good".  He told us to eat of them and to use them to our benefit so that we may be better servants of Christ.  Unfortunately, technology, large corporations and greed has caused America to veer away from the good things that God has made and has created an altered environment.  Not all technology is corrupt (of course!) but in this case it has caused much destruction to our agricultural techniques and way of living.  In order to change this discouraging path, we have to start with what we buy and who we are supporting.

We are to be faithful stewards of the bodies He has given us, the food He provides for us, and the homes that He blesses us with.  I think this means that we are to take the best possible care of these blessings.  Just as we wouldn't want a gift we've given to a family member to be uncared for, God does not want us to be careless with our bodies, food and homes.  In these areas, I believe the best care is the natural way that God has provided us.  Some of us have veered off this way of living so much that we no longer think about what we are putting into our bodies and what we are cleaning with in our homes.  Some of us tend to go with the flow and the mass production of goods and think that it is the right way.  As Christians, I believe that it is our duty to gain wisdom in these areas and always be aware of what we welcome into our bodies,  homes and environment.    This is God's world, we are God's people, and we should be living as faithful stewards, showing others that we truly believe that He created the world and everything in it. 

I am not saying that we are to be hippies, tree huggers, and environmental activists but I am saying that we should care about the way God's creation is becoming tainted through greed, pride, and the hunger for more power.  Genetically modified foods are becoming the norm and they are causing all sorts of problems.  From problems on family farms, government restriction on the production of seeds, health problems due to GMO foods, species becoming extinct because of these practices, to large corporations trying to gain more control over American farms as well as overseas, our environment is suffering and we should not be supporting those who cause harm to God's creation.  This is a difficult task although one that is very important. 

Due to my strong belief in this serious subject, I have been making small steps towards eating more organic foods, shopping at our local farmers market, and using non-toxic cleaning products in our homes.  In addition to these steps, I am trying to be content with what I have and finding ways to reuse items that I already own.  This even means buying less clothing for myself (yikes! a hard one for me...) and creating new items out of things I have laying around the house.  While I am trying to be a better steward in all areas, it is not an easy journey and I am thankful for the encouragement I receive from books, websites, and even a documentary or two.  Here is a list of resources I currently use and some that I have enjoyed in the past.  I hope this helps you at least begin your own research and path to a more natural, God-glorifying way of life.  Pray, research, and find ways to a be a faithful steward so we all can be better equipped to serve Christ and teach others that God's creation truly is good.

Websites:

(While I am listing these websites for wonderful natural living info, I am not backing all beliefs of these individuals.)

www.passionatehomemaking.com (one I go to almost daily)

www.keeperofthehome.com

www.kitchenstewardship.com

www.reneeloux.com

www.organic.org

www.localharvest.org - lists all Farmer's Markets in your area

Books:

Healthy Homemaking: One Step at a Time  by Stephanie Langford (ebook available on www.keeperofthehome.com) - I am currently reading this and so far I love it!

Food, Inc.  by Karl Weber (a bit repetitive at times and although I don't agree with some of the information, it has some important info on our country's agricultural business practices; also a movie I plan on renting soon)

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

Plowing in Hope: Towards a Biblical Theology of Culture by David Bruce Hegeman  (not about "natural living" per se but about how the Christian is to view culture and what our culture is...very good book!)

Easy Green Living by Renee Loux (a great beginner's guide to living more naturally in the home)

Documentaries:

The Future of Food (LOTS of information about genetically modified food and big corporation farming)

King Corn (low budget but still has some interesting info)

Super Size Me (the effects of an unhealthy diet...more fun than factual)

Please share with me your thoughts on the subject and perhaps any resources you come across!