The Alpha of Dominion

UV 2989 / 10000 The Alpha of Dominion
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Genesis 1 v 26

Dominion means leadership. God made man in His image or in His likeness with the mental, moral and social capacity for leadership of all other species. Like God, we can think, plan, create, communicate, judge, desire righteousness, know right from wrong. He placed everything else under the feet of man but man alone He placed directly under His own leadership. Since Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God, human beings are created in the image of Jesus. Therefore, our highest aspiration is to be or become as close as possible to the character of Jesus. Just as all other species are placed under the dominion of man, all mankind is placed under the dominion or leadership of Jesus. Just as all other species are tamed by man, our powerful organs and parts of life that are made in the likeness of God- our intellect, our tongues, our spirits, our attitudes, our talents and gifts are tamed, trained and used by Him. No one else in all of history fills this space as adequately as Jesus then as now. He is the prototype or model. We too are expected to be types of Christ even as Abel, Moses, Joseph, the apostles were types of Christ who either preceded Jesus on earth or followed after Him. Love is the essence of godly or Christ –like dominion or leadership. When we resist the dominion or leadership of God in our lives, we are kicking the thorns or in other words, hurting ourselves needlessly and pointlessly. When we yield to the leadership of God in our lives, we are uplifted, edified, ennobled, enabled, equipped, empowered. The Spirit of God dominates or rules over our thoughts, emotions, actions and reactions. We have the inner strength to endure great trials, difficulties, challenges and tests in this life.

Knowing what is right from wrong in the eyes of God and consistently seeking what is right is the trait of good and godly leaders. Dominion is to be first sought over one’s own self before we can lead or rule others. Dominion or power or influence is not sought for its own sake as the world’s leaders do but in order to pursue what is right and to avoid what is perceivably wrong. Great power and influence is released from the hands of the Lord onto, into and through the godly leader. He can command the elements of nature even as God can. His words have immense creative power. He has dominion over his own emotions, desires and motives. He voluntarily surrenders the dominion of his life either to the enemy of our souls or to the Lord God.
Jesus demonstrated through His own leadership style that dominion is not for abuse, exploitation or domination but to serve, to heal, to teach, to uplift, to encourage, to exhort, to warn, to build, to develop, to set free, to equip and to enable. All of our power, our gifts, our faculties, our talents, our opportunities, our resources are to be used likewise to serve God and people. Our power over nature is to be also used with a sense of responsibility and restraint.