In Nagaland, a quiet paradox unfolds. While the land is fertile and the people are industrious by nature, our economic behavior increasingly tilts toward consumption rather than production. We import what we eat, wear, drive and use- while our farms shrink, our factories lie idle and our hands grow unfamiliar with the tools of creation. As Naga society becomes more urbanized, digitized and dependent on external supply chains, we risk becoming a people who receive more than we generate, demand more than we invest and consume more than we contribute. This is not merely an economic concern- it is a spiritual and biblical issue. Scripture calls God’s people to be cultivators, not mere consumers; to be fruitful, not idle; to multiply what is entrusted to us, not squander it. The challenge of our generation in Nagaland is to rediscover our biblical identity as producers in agriculture, ideas, industry, justice and spiritual life.
Designed to produce: The first command God gave humanity in Genesis 1:28 was: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion…” This command is not solely about procreation. It’s a mandate to create, steward and expand. Humans were designed not merely to survive but to produce life, cultivate land and care for creation. Genesis 2:15 affirms this design: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Work was not a result of the Fall. It was part of paradise. Consumption without cultivation violates this original design. When a society drifts into over-reliance on others for food, fuel or even faith, it denies the divine imprint of productivity. In Nagaland, many villages that once thrived on farming, craftsmanship and trade now depend on imported resources even for basic needs. Supermarkets are full but fields are empty. Biblically, this is not just an economic gap- it is a loss of calling. We were created to produce.
Stewardship over passivity: In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells the parable of a master who entrusts his servants with talents (a unit of money). Two of the servants invest and multiply their share but one buries it in the ground, fearful and passive. The master rebukes him: “You wicked and slothful servant! … You ought to have invested my money with the bankers…” (Matthew 25:26-27) This parable is about more than money. It’s about responsibility, resourcefulness and return. God expects that what He places in our hands- land, time, knowledge and skills will be used productively. Nagaland is rich in natural and human capital: fertile land, educated youth, biodiversity and deep cultural values. But if we bury these gifts under layers of dependency, fear or complacency, we become like the unprofitable servant living off what others produce while our God-given talents lie dormant. Jesus’s message is clear that consumption without contribution is a form of unfaithfulness.
Work ethic: In 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul writes: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” This isn’t about punishing the poor- it’s about challenging idleness. In Thessalonica, some believers had stopped working and waiting passively for Christ’s return. Paul corrects them by modeling a different example: “We worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.” (2 Thessalonians 3:8) Paul’s gospel living included productivity, diligence and responsibility. He refused to freeload or depend unnecessarily on others. His faith made him work harder, not less.This ethic is urgently needed in Nagaland. Importing rice, meat, vegetables, textiles and technology may be convenient but is it sustainable? If churches, families and societies become passive recipients of outside resources in terms of spiritual or material, we weaken the very foundation of the Body of Christ. A biblical society is one where every member contributes, every hand works and every gift is used to serve the community.
Dignity in local work: Before preaching sermons or performing miracles, Jesus worked as a carpenter. Mark 6:3 refers to Him as a “tekton”- a builder, artisan or craftsman. Jesus dignified manual labor. He was not born into royalty or academia but into a working-class home. He shaped wood, built tools and lived in a quiet town far from Jerusalem’s center of power. This affirms the God-given dignity of local work whether in carpentry, farming, weaving or fishing. In Nagaland, we often glorify white-collar jobs and government posts while undervaluing agriculture, craftsmanship and local trades. Yet Jesus’s early life tells us otherwise. A young person working in piggery, beekeeping, pottery or handloom may reflect Jesus more than someone chasing a desk job solely to avoid manual work or traditional livelihoods. We must restore honor to local labor and teach our youth that producing even in small ways is an act of worship and witness.
The manna mindset: In Exodus 16, God provided manna to the Israelites during their wilderness journey. But it was never meant to be permanent. In Joshua 5:12, we read that the manna stopped once they entered the Promised Land because they now had land to cultivate. Manna was for survival; cultivation was for legacy. Many in Nagaland live in a “manna mindset” waiting for government aid, job quotas, schemes or outside products. But manna was not meant to last forever. God calls His people to transition from receiving to reaping, from dependency to productivity. Consumer cultures become fragile and entitled. Producer cultures become resilient, grateful and generous.
A way forward: To shift from a consumption-driven mindset to a biblically grounded culture of productivity, Nagaland must recover the theology of work and the dignity of local labor. This begins with reshaping how churches and communities view vocation not merely as a means to survive but as a sacred calling to reflect God’s creative nature. Local churches can model this by supporting indigenous industries, encouraging entrepreneurship and discipling believers not only in prayer and worship but also in stewardship, diligence and resourcefulness. Faith must form not just the heart but also the hands. We must also begin honoring local producers- farmers, artisans and small-scale entrepreneurs whose work sustains communities in unseen but essential ways. And above all, we must pray not just for revival but for creativity, courage and a generative spirit that moves individuals and villages and towns from passive consumption to meaningful contribution.
Restoring the culture of cultivation: Nagaland today finds itself at a significant juncture marked by robust expressions of faith, yet increasingly characterized by economic passivity and systemic dependence. While church attendance remains strong and religious identity widely affirmed, the region’s productive infrastructure- agrarian, artisanal and entrepreneurial has diminished in both visibility and value. This widening gap between spiritual fervor and economic fruitfulness is not merely sociological; it constitutes a profound theological concern. The biblical narrative presents cultivation not as an economic option but as a divine imperative. From the Genesis mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” and “subdue the earth” (Genesis 1:28), to Paul’s exhortation that “if anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10), Scripture consistently portrays labor, stewardship and productivity as essential components of faithful living. In both Testaments, production is viewed not only as a means of sustenance but as an expression of obedience, responsibility and worship.
To restore a culture of cultivation is, therefore, to realign Nagaland’s social and economic rhythms with its theological foundations. It necessitates the recovery of vocational dignity, especially in domains often overlooked in contemporary aspiration- agriculture, craftsmanship, manual trades and local enterprise. It calls for the Church not only to pray for provision but to model and mobilize productivity as an act of witness and discipleship. Breaking free from a “manna mindset” a dependence on external aid without reciprocal investment requires a renewed ethic of work, deeply rooted in Scripture. Faith communities must reimagine vocation as sacred and production as a vital expression of godly stewardship. In sum, Nagaland’s economic renewal cannot be divorced from its theological reawakening. A people of deep belief must become a people of disciplined, productive action. Only then can faith translate into flourishing and devotion into sustainable transformation.
