Kathy547's blog: Repost from a Facebook post...being good stewards of animals

{{{COPIED & PASTED from a post I made back in 2019}}}

I wrote this after doing a little studying on animals & what the Bible says about how we should treat them. I don't care if anyone reads it or not but I cite Biblical passages where God's message is clear in how He expects animals to be treated. As a whole, according to God's will, we are not complying with our responsibility to His creations of earth & animals & each other. If we were, there would be no starving animals, no dumped animals, no need for shelters or rescues.
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Most of us, when asked are we a good person would most likely say yes. But are we? One of the hallmarks of being a good person is being a good steward. In fact, God asks this of us from the very beginning. In the book of Genesis, God made man & woman. But before He made us, He made all the animals in the water & the ones who fly in the sky & all the ones on land. From the very beginning of time, God asked us to be good stewards. The dictionary meaning for stewardship is: (1) the position & duties of a steward, a person who acts as the surrogate of another or others, especially by managing property, financial affairs, an estate, etc. (2) the responsible overseeing & protection of something considered worth caring for & preserving. Go back & read that second definition again….the responsible overseeing & protection of something considered worth caring for & preserving. There are many ways we are called to be good stewards: the caring of our children, elderly, sick & poor; the preserving of earth & our natural resources; the preserving of history & historical artifacts. All are important & require more study, but the purpose here is on animals & being good stewards to them. I will mainly be talking about pets but this goes for ALL animals.

Genesis 1:24-26: (24) And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, & the wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. (25) God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, & all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. (26) Then God said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea & the birds in the sky, over the livestock & all the wild animals, & over all the creatures that move along the ground." In the study Bible that I have, The Jeremiah Study Bible, the explanation of these verses is this: As God's image-bearers, humans are symbols of Himself in the world. This is evidenced when people put their faith in Jesus: their spiritual nature changes so that it mirrors His. The Lord also affirms it here by allowing humans to rule over nature & delegating them as earth's stewards.

Genesis 9: (1) Then God blessed Noah & his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful & increase in number & fill the earth. (2) The fear & dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, & on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, & on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands. (3) Everything that lives & moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything. *Here, God is allowing humans to eat "everything that lives & moves" instead of just plants. (4) "But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it….

Here is a quote from a 2017 article at newsadvance.com/archives/striving-tobe-god-stewards-of-the-animals-in-our/article_fo83b8fe-4262-11e7-966d-eb4cde7a21bb.html

"The United Kingdom developed a set of principles in 1965 to cover the welfare of livestock. These Five Freedoms, since adopted by some animal welfare groups, mandate:
*Freedom from hunger & thirst
*Freedom from discomfort
*Freedom from pain, injury or disease
*Freedom to express normal behavior
*Freedom from fear & distress

"The law falls short in serving animals well when compared to the Five Freedoms. All of us should care about this because a society that treats animals humanely historically treats its most vulnerable human citizens better too. The first recorded case of child abuse in the United States had a happy ending because of laws meant to protect animals from mistreatment. The promises of the Five Freedoms should be the guiding light for anyone who takes in companion animals. The challenge is nudging guardians to do the right thing if they aren't already. It comes down to the Golden Rule. People should treat animals the way they want to be treated. Food & shelter are just the beginning of a good life."

Job 12:7-10 (7) "But ask the animals, & they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, & they will tell you; (8) or speak to the earth, & it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. (9) Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? (10) In his hand is the life of every creature & the breath of all mankind.

http//drmichele.org/biblical-stewardship-includes-caring-for-animals/

has this explanation for Job 12: The animals know God, & are known by God. The love of an animal is unconditional, something that reflects God. God treats people, created lower than Himself, with amazing love & tender compassion. Mankind is created higher than the animals. Your tender loving kindness toward people & animals is a reflection of how God has treated you. You are reflecting His image when you care for people & animals, thus displaying His qualities. God is very clear you are to reflect him in all of your ways.

The definition of stewardship is: the activity of protecting & being responsible for something. Biblical stewardship teaches that human beings are created by the same God who created the entire universe & everything in it. When you look after the earth you are caring for God's creations, & God charged the Christian steward with this responsibility. In obedience to this calling we are worshiping our Creator. You were created to be stewards of everything on the earth. Stewardship isn't just simply for you to serve others; it is to righteously rule over the things God created. He is letting you borrow & rule over the earth, animals…….

From an August 1998 article at https://www.sciencedirect.com/...

"Since animals can neither obtain nor sustain rights for themselves they depend upon humans for their welfare. Stewardship involves responsibility FOR something & also responsibility TO someone. This can mean responsibility to God, or for those without religious beliefs, responsibility to future generations. Veterinarians act as stewards, responsible for treating animals & responsible to the owners. They also have responsibilities to society. Different societies have different expectations of their veterinarians but veterinarians are well placed to support human stewardship for animal welfare."

Here is a really good article everyone should read:
https://erlc.com/resource-libr...

Jesus said in Luke 12:6,7 (6) "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. (7) Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." God cares for us & knows everything about us, even things we don't know ourselves, like the number of hairs on our heads. Yet God also cares for His creations, right down to the most ordinary of birds.

Exodus 23:4,5 (4) "If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. (5) If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it."

Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (1) If you see your fellow Israelite's ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to its owner. (2) If they do not live near you or if you do not know who owns it, take it home with you & keep it until they come looking for it. Then, give it back. (3) Do the same if you find their donkey or cloak or anything else they have lost. Do not ignore it. (4) If you see your fellow Israelite's donkey or ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help the owner get it to its feet.

Proverbs 12:10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

Proverbs 12:1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.

Proverbs 12:14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things, & the work of their hands brings them reward.

Proverbs 27:23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds,…..

Being a good steward towards animals means being a responsible pet owner. It means thinking about the animal & it's needs BEFORE you ever get it. It means spaying & neutering. It means being kind. It means not dumping your dog or cat because of any & every excuse. We don't dump our kids or our elderly parents so why would you think its ok to just dump a dog or cat? If we were the good stewards we purport to be on Sunday morning in the church pew, we would not have shelters & rescues overcrowded & underfunded. We wouldn't have abandoned animals, dumped animals, unwanted litters, dog fighting rings, the list is almost endless. Shame on each & every one of us because, as a whole, we are not good stewards. #goodsteward #goodstewardsofanimals #responsiblepetowner

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