How do we convince people who are after convenience to engage in creation care more? Is it really about going the extra mile or is there a simpler way?

One of the biggest barriers to creation care is not disagreement about environmental issues but the desire for convenience. We live in a world designed to prioritise speed, comfort, and efficiency. Disposable products, same-day delivery, excessive packaging, and private transport all promise to make life easier. Against this backdrop, creation care can seem inconvenient, costly, or burdensome.

This question matters because if creation care is consistently framed as making life harder, many people—even Christians who care deeply about God—may conclude that it is unrealistic or only for especially passionate environmentalists. The Church therefore needs to communicate a more biblical and hopeful vision: creation care is not primarily about inconvenience but about faithful love expressed through everyday choices.

Examining the assumptions

The question assumes that people must choose between convenience and creation care. While this is sometimes true, it is not always the case.

Some environmentally responsible choices do require sacrifice. Choosing to repair rather than replace, reducing unnecessary consumption, or travelling differently may involve extra planning or cost. Jesus never promised that discipleship would always be the easiest path.

However, many acts of creation care are surprisingly convenient. Carrying a reusable bottle or shopping bag, reducing food waste through meal planning, switching to energy-efficient appliances, or using public transport where practical can become simple habits. Some even save time or money over the long term.

The deeper issue, then, is not convenience itself but what ultimately shapes our decisions. When convenience becomes our highest value, it can quietly replace love, stewardship, and gratitude as the guiding principles of our lives.

What Scripture teaches

The Bible does not condemn convenience. Rest, wise planning, and human creativity are gifts from God. Technology and innovation can improve lives and reduce suffering.

Yet Scripture consistently teaches that love often asks us to place the good of others before our own comfort.

Jesus teaches:

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23,)

This verse is not specifically about environmental stewardship, but it reminds Christians that discipleship is shaped by self-giving love rather than personal convenience.

Likewise, Paul writes:

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4)

Creation care reflects this posture because environmental decisions often affect people we may never meet—our neighbours, vulnerable communities, future generations, and the wider community of creation that God has entrusted to humanity.

Scripture also reminds us that seemingly small acts matter.

"Whoever is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much." (Luke 16:10a)

Faithfulness is not measured only by dramatic sacrifices. It is cultivated through ordinary habits that honour God in daily life.

How can we encourage people?

Rather than persuading people through guilt or fear, the Church can cultivate lasting change by helping believers see creation care as an expression of worship and discipleship.

1. Connect creation care to worship, not guilt. People are more likely to change when they understand why it matters. Creation care is not about earning God’s approval or achieving personal moral perfection. It is a response to God’s generosity. The earth belongs to Him:

“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” — Psalm 24:1

Caring for creation is an act of gratitude.

2. Start with accessible practices. Not everyone can immediately make major lifestyle changes. Churches can encourage simple steps such as reducing unnecessary consumption, minimising waste, choosing sustainable options where possible, and caring for local environments. These practices can become spiritual disciplines that cultivate gratitude and contentment.

3. Build supportive communities. Individual action can feel overwhelming, but communities create encouragement and accountability. When churches model creation care together—through sustainable events, community gardens, waste reduction initiatives, or environmental education—it becomes part of the culture rather than an individual burden.

4. Recover the biblical virtue of simplicity. The Gospel challenges the assumption that more consumption leads to greater joy. Jesus warns against a life defined by possessions:

“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” — Luke 12:15

A simpler life is not necessarily a poorer life. Biblical simplicity creates space to love God, love neighbours, and appreciate the goodness of creation.

Is it about going the extra mile?

Sometimes, yes. There will be moments when following Christ requires choosing what is less convenient because love demands it. Just as generosity, hospitality, forgiveness, and service often require sacrifice, creation care may also involve giving up certain comforts for the sake of others.

But often, the simpler way is simply to live more intentionally. Many sustainable practices become second nature once they are integrated into everyday life. The goal is not to make life unnecessarily difficult but to align our daily habits with God's purposes.

Ultimately, the Church should not ask, "How can we make people care more?" but rather, "How can we help people love God more deeply?" As love for the Creator grows, care for His creation follows naturally. Creation care is not about adding another burden to the Christian life; it is about allowing the Gospel to shape even the ordinary decisions of everyday living.