See the Sustainability Prayer below (that's my name for it)....
Lord, I already know the best way to alter my life-style to the best advantage for all--live like Jesus. The Christian existence ideally is to imitate what you do. You send the sun and rain on everyone, you want me to get back to the basic facts of life, to love without reservation, to distinguish between life's needs and life itself, and seek first your kingdom knowing you will meet all my other needs.
Still it is easy to trust in the "things" of today and feel like it is up to me to see that humanity survives. Keep me from undue worry and pride. Remind me that life is a gift--not a right, and that my attitude toward the ultimate resources and values in life will determine how the earth's resources will be handled and provided for those who need them. I have already formed many habits of consuming and acting. Guide me in aligning my personal priorities to conform to my awareness of a world hungry. May my life-style become more compatible with our biosphere and supportive of peoples around the world.
Lord, help me choose a simpler life-style that promotes solidarity with the world's poor, helps me appreciate nature more, affords greater opportunity to work together with my neighbors, reduces my use of limited resources, creates greater inner harmony, saves money, allows time for meditation and prayer, incites me to take political and social action.
May all my decisions about my style of life celebrate the joy of life that comes from loving you. Amen.
From Visions of a World Hungry by Thomas G. Pettepiece
It reminds us that our attitude and view of God shapes the way that we anticipate and influence the distribution of resources, not to mention that if life is a gift then we are not only offending the individual when taking it away, we are offending God. It also reminds us that through dependency on God we can learn humility that will shape our ethic toward one another. It also holds in tension our significance along with our insignificance. I found this in "A Guide to Prayer" daily devotional published by Upper Room.
Matt
