First, let’s talk about why sustainability is a deception. It encourages the false belief that the world can sustain itself indefinitely. This is far from the reality. The Bible says that Jesus “upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb 1:3).

There in an Unseen Force upholding all creation. And, His force is allowing the earth to degrade. Resources are being used up and not renewed. And, because of sin, mankind is greedily speeding up the process with his earth destroying practices (Revelation 11:18).

No matter how much green “practices” or “initiatives” we come up with, the degradation will not stop. Isaiah 51:8 says “the earth will wear out like a [piece of clothing]”. The word “will” implies that there is no reversing or halting the process.

The purpose of allowing the earth to fade away as a dying leaf is because Jesus wants humanity to understand that sin leads to death. He also wants to draw their attention to the idea that this earth will end. Then, they might be attracted to strive to be in the “New Earth”.

Listen, changing our earth destroying practices is, indeed, a noble cause. However, a new name should be given it… something like… “Cooperative Action”. Cooperating with God in stopping sin, which includes earth-destroying and health-destroying practices.

The idea of “sustainability” has, at least, a two-fold problem:

  1. It leads people to delay looking for help from a Higher Power because they believe they have more time than they actually have.
  2. It leads people to believe that nature operates autonomously, without the constant input of the Creator.

With this in mind, this idea has crept into the church as well. If God sustains the earth, does He not sustain His children? Especially, when they sacrifice their lives for the gospel. Look at these plain statements from Christ.

  • Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 10:39
  • “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:29-30
  • Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26
  • But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33

But there is this doctrine circulating in the church about “sustaining” yourself while being a minister. And the idea is that because Paul did it, we are to do it. But who made Paul the ultimate example. I thought we were to follow Jesus, not Paul.

I’m not against someone doing that but not everyone is Paul and is gifted the way Paul was. Not everyone can make tents or work with their hands… and, furthermore, Christ said, “No man can serve two masters…”. So, unless someone is capable of running their own business, they will, inevitably, have to battle between the service of God and the service of their boss.

But, true faith requires one to live as God would have them to live. And if Jesus called His closest disciples to a life of self sacrifice and complete devotion to the cause without reservation, why can’t He call people today with the same aim.

Peter said, “Look, we left everything we had and followed you.”

Luke 18:28

Not everyone has the same call. But no one should dictate the call of another. I think the reality is, we want what we want. And, we think God will abandon us if we don’t earn income. This is unbelief in a truly loving Jesus.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 6:30