When God created the heavens and the earth, He established a divine order that continues to inspire awe. Everything He created was given a nature, a purpose, a capacity and an assignment.
A seed does not attend a seminar before it germinates. It carries within itself the potential to become a plant, to grow, to flower and to reproduce. A plant grows according to the life God placed within it.
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A fish swims because God created it to swim. A bird flies because God created it to fly. The seed grows and reproduces. The plant bears fruit. Creation responds to the design of its Creator.
The fish swims. The bird flies. The seed grows. The plant bears fruit.
Then God created man.
Genesis 1:27 declares, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Here, the word man speaks of humanity. It is the generic description of the human race.
Male and female are both created in God’s image. A woman is fully part of mankind, and a man is fully part of mankind. We are male and female, but before God we are one humanity bearing His image.
God did not create one image for the male and another for the female. He created humanity in His image and expressed that humanity through male and female. Both were blessed. Both were given purpose. Both were commanded to be fruitful and multiply. Both were entrusted with the earth. Both were given dominion.
Genesis 1:28 says, “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” Notice the word them. Dominion was given to humanity.
Dominion was not an afterthought; it was part of God’s original assignment to mankind. Before there were governments, corporations, political institutions, universities, industries or modern civilization, there was God’s command to humanity to be fruitful, multiply, subdue and exercise dominion.
Psalm 8:6 declares, “You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet.” The lion is stronger than man. The eagle flies higher than man. The whale is larger than man. Yet God entrusted dominion to humanity because humanity was created in His image.
Dominion is therefore not primarily about physical strength. It is about identity, wisdom, responsibility, stewardship, creativity, leadership and obedience to God.
God is the God of gods, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. All authority ultimately belongs to Him. When He gives humanity dominion, He does not surrender His sovereignty; He delegates responsibility. We do not become God; we represent God. We do not become the owner; we become stewards.
Our dominion is exercised under His authority, according to His principles and for His glory.
And we must remember one powerful truth: if God says it, He can do it. Numbers 23:19 reminds us that God is not a man that He should lie. Isaiah 55:11 declares that His Word will not return to Him empty but will accomplish what He desires.
When God speaks, His Word carries the power of His ability. When God said, “Let there be light,” there was light. When God said, “Let Us make man in Our image,” humanity was created. When God said, “Let them have dominion,” He established a divine assignment.
Therefore, when God speaks concerning your life, His Word is not an empty promise. Isaiah 46:11 says, “What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” God can fulfil what He has spoken. What He has promised, He is able to accomplish. What He has begun, He is able to complete.
But we must believe Him, obey Him and cooperate with His purpose.
To be created in God’s image means that we are designed to reflect His character. God is Creator, therefore we create. God is love, therefore we love.
God is holy, therefore we pursue holiness. God is truthful, therefore we speak truth. God is just, therefore we pursue justice. God is merciful, therefore we show mercy. God is faithful, therefore we should be people of integrity.
God is wise, therefore we seek wisdom. God brings order, therefore we should bring order where there is confusion. God is light, therefore we should shine where there is darkness. God gives life, therefore we should become agents of life, hope and restoration.
God builds, therefore we should build families, businesses, institutions, communities and nations.
And because God is generous, we must be charitable with our dominion. If God has blessed you with knowledge, use it to lift somebody.
If He has given you wealth, use it to create opportunities and help those in need. If He has given you influence, use it to open doors for others. If He has given you a business, create employment. If He has given you a position, empower people. If He has given you a voice, speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Jesus said, “Freely you have received; freely give.” Dominion is not merely what you can control; it is also what you can contribute.
God moves people from grass to grace, and sometimes He chooses to use one person to become the bridge through which another person’s life changes.
Someone may be waiting for the opportunity that your influence can create. Someone may need the knowledge you possess. Someone may need the encouragement you can give. Someone may need the job your business can provide. Someone may need the introduction you can make.
Never forget where God brought you from. The hand that God lifted should become a hand that lifts others.
The door God opened for you should inspire you to open doors for others. Grace received should become grace extended.
Within every boy is the potential to become a man, and within every girl is the potential to become a woman. Growth is part of God’s design.
A seed contains the potential for a tree. A child contains the potential for an adult. Youth contains potential for leadership. The question is not whether potential exists. The question is whether that potential will be discovered, developed, disciplined and directed toward God’s purpose.
This is why we must understand that only we can become the greatest limitation to what God has placed within us. Circumstances may challenge us, but they do not have to define us.
Our background may explain where we started, but it does not have to determine where we finish. Our birthplace may be our starting point, but it does not have to be our boundary.
Jesus was not born in Banana Island. He was born in Bethlehem, in humble circumstances, yet Bethlehem did not determine His destination. His birthplace did not limit His assignment. He fulfilled His purpose and changed the course of human history.
You may not have chosen where you were born, but you can participate in determining what you become. When you are born, you are given life.
When you are born again in Christ, you receive new life. And as you grow in Christ, you continually become the person God created you to be.
Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Our thoughts matter. Our thoughts influence our choices; our choices form our habits; our habits shape our character; and our character influences the direction of our lives. This is why Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
You are, in a sense, an architect of your life.
God is the ultimate Creator, but He has given you choices, responsibilities, gifts, opportunities and stewardship. You build with what He places in your hands.
You cannot control everything that happens around you, but you can exercise dominion over your response, your choices, your discipline and your direction.
And therefore, dominion begins within.
Proverbs 25:28 says, “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” Before you try to lead others, learn to lead yourself.
Learn to govern your thoughts, your words, your emotions, your appetites, your habits, your time and your decisions.
A person who cannot govern himself may acquire enormous power and still become a prisoner of his own desires.
Life gives us another illustration. Some roads have speed limits. Some roads, such as sections of Germany’s Autobahn, have no general speed limit.
Yet a wise driver understands that freedom does not eliminate responsibility. Having the freedom to go faster does not mean that wisdom has been suspended.
So it is with dominion. God has given us authority, but He has not given us permission to live recklessly. Dominion is not domination.
Dominion is not oppression. Dominion is not the abuse of power. Dominion is disciplined authority exercised under God’s authority.
God calls us to break barriers, but never to break His principles. Break fear. Break ignorance. Break unbelief. Break destructive habits. Break mediocrity.
Break the mentality that says you cannot become what God has called you to become. But never break God’s Word in the process.
We must also ask ourselves whether we are submissive to God or to culture. Every society has culture. Every family has traditions. Every generation has expectations.
Some traditions preserve wisdom and strengthen communities, but traditions can become dangerous when they contradict God’s truth.
Jesus warned against allowing human traditions to replace God’s commands, while Paul tells us not to conform to the pattern of this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Culture changes. God’s Word remains.
We are called to influence culture, not become prisoners of ungodly culture.
Our dominion extends into the practical areas of our lives. We have responsibility over our circumstances, our situations, our families, our health, our finances, our businesses, our careers, our communities and our influence.
Dominion over circumstances does not mean that we control every event in life. It means that circumstances do not have the final authority over our identity, our faith, our choices or our future. Joseph’s circumstance was slavery, but slavery did not become his destiny.
Daniel’s circumstance was captivity, but captivity did not destroy his integrity. David’s circumstance was obscurity, but obscurity did not cancel his calling.
Your situation may describe where you are; it does not have to determine where you are going.
We have responsibility over our health. Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We should care for our bodies, make responsible choices, seek appropriate medical care, pray and trust God for divine health.
We have responsibility over our finances. Proverbs 21:5 tells us that the plans of the diligent lead to profit. Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us that God gives us the ability to produce wealth. We must learn to work, save, invest, give, plan and build.
We have responsibility for our families. Joshua declared, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Our homes should become places of love, peace, discipline, faith, purpose and growth.
We have responsibility over our businesses and work. We should create value, solve problems, employ people, develop others and conduct our affairs with integrity.
We have responsibility toward our communities and our nation. Dominion should never make us selfish. It should make us more useful.
The greater our influence, the greater our responsibility. The greater our resources, the greater our opportunity to bless. The greater our position, the greater our responsibility to serve.
The greater your dominion, the greater your duty to be charitable with it.
Jesus demonstrated this perfectly. He had authority, yet He served. He had power, yet He showed compassion. He could command, yet He washed feet. That is the difference between worldly power and kingdom dominion.
Worldly power asks, “What can I get?”
Godly dominion asks, “What can I do with what God has given me?”
The Holy Spirit empowers us for this life. Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” The Spirit gives wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Dominion requires wisdom to know what to do with authority, understanding to recognise opportunities, discernment to know what to avoid, courage to act and self-control to know when not to act.
Through Christ, we have received an extraordinary inheritance. Romans 8:17 says that if we are God’s children, then we are “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” We are joint heirs with Christ. And 1 John 4:17 says, “As he is, so are we in this world.”
We do not become God. We become representatives of Christ. We carry His character into the world. We carry His love into our homes.
We carry His wisdom into our businesses. We carry His justice into our communities. We carry His compassion to the vulnerable. We carry His light into darkness.
Take dominion—but take it in Christ.
The fish swims. The bird flies. The seed grows. The plant bears fruit. The boy grows into a man. The girl grows into a woman. And humanity—male and female—was created in the image of God for dominion.
The question is no longer whether God has given us dominion. The question is: What are we doing with ours?
What are we doing with our lives? What are we doing with our circumstances? What are we doing with our health? What are we doing with our finances? What are we doing with our families? What are we doing with our businesses? What are we doing with our talents? What are we doing with our opportunities? What are we doing with our influence?
And perhaps the greatest question is: Who is benefiting from the dominion God has given us?
May our dominion not become a prison for others. May it become a platform for service. May our success become somebody else’s opportunity.
May our knowledge become somebody else’s wisdom. May our wealth become somebody else’s relief. May our influence become somebody else’s breakthrough. May our position become somebody else’s lifting.
May our lives become evidence that God can move a person from grass to grace—and then use that person to lift others.
And when God has spoken a promise over our lives, may we never allow circumstances to make us believe that His Word has failed. God says, “What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.” His Word will not return empty. What He has spoken, He can accomplish. What He has promised, He is able to fulfil. What He has begun, He is able to complete.
So let us believe God. Let us walk with God. Let us obey God. Let us develop what He has placed within us. Let us exercise the authority He has entrusted to us. And let us remember that dominion without God becomes pride, but dominion under God becomes purpose.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, we thank You because You created us in Your image and entrusted humanity with dominion. Thank You for the gift of life, the gifts within us, the opportunities before us and the authority You have entrusted to us.
Lord, we believe Your Word. You are not a man that You should lie. When You speak, You have the power to accomplish what You have spoken. Your Word will not return to You empty. What You have purposed, You are able to fulfil.
Where You have spoken life, let there be life. Where You have spoken restoration, let there be restoration. Where You have spoken opportunity, open the door.
Where You have spoken breakthrough, make a way. Where You have spoken purpose, give us the wisdom and courage to walk into it.
Holy Spirit, fill us afresh. Give us wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Renew our minds.
Activate the gifts You have placed within us. Help us to exercise dominion with humility, wisdom, righteousness, love and responsibility.
Give us dominion over ourselves. Help us control our thoughts, our words, our emotions, our appetites, our habits and our decisions.
Give us dominion over our circumstances. When situations become difficult, give us faith, wisdom and courage. Help us remember that our circumstances are not greater than our God.
Lord, grant us divine health and strength. Protect our bodies and our families. Give us wisdom to care for our health and grace to seek appropriate help when necessary.
Bless our families. Let our homes be filled with peace, love, unity, wisdom and understanding. Protect our marriages, bless our children and raise a generation that knows You and fulfils Your purpose.
Bless our businesses, careers and work. Give us creativity, ideas, integrity, opportunities and favour. Prosper the work of our hands and make us responsible stewards of every resource You place in our hands.
Lord, bless our finances. Give us wisdom to earn, save, invest, give and build. Deliver us from financial ignorance and destructive decisions, and make us channels of blessing.
Teach us to be charitable with our dominion. Never allow us to become so successful that we forget where You brought us from.
When You lift us from grass to grace, make us instruments for lifting others. Give us generous hearts and the grace to open doors, create opportunities, support the vulnerable, mentor the young and help those who need a hand.
Lord, we pray for Nigeria. Let peace prevail over insecurity. Protect our nation from terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and every form of evil. Give our security agencies wisdom, courage and strength. Give our leaders integrity, discernment and the fear of God.
Let righteousness prevail. Let justice prevail. Let peace prevail. Let security prevail. Let prosperity prevail. Let Nigeria fulfil her God-given potential.
Raise leaders who will serve rather than exploit. Raise entrepreneurs who will create rather than destroy. Raise professionals who will build rather than compromise. Raise young people who will discover their potential and use it for Your glory.
Father, let our lives become testimonies of Your grace. Let those who encounter us encounter hope. Let those who work with us experience integrity. Let those who receive from us experience generosity. Let those who follow us see Christ.
And when You move us from grass to grace, give us the grace never to forget the grass from which You lifted us.
May our dominion become a blessing. May our success become a testimony. May our influence become a ministry. May our lives become a legacy.
We declare that we are not created merely to survive. We are created to know You, reflect Your image, fulfil Your purpose, serve humanity and exercise righteous dominion under Your authority.
And because God has spoken it, He is able to do it.
Because God has given us power and authority, let us use it wisely.
Because God’s Word will not return to Him empty, let us believe, obey and act upon His Word.
Because we are joint heirs with Christ, let us walk in our inheritance with humility and responsibility.
And because God has blessed us, let us become a blessing to others.
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Lord, help us live worthy of the image we carry and the dominion You have entrusted to us.
In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
THE FISH SWIMS. THE BIRD FLIES. THE SEED GROWS. THE PLANT BEARS FRUIT. MAN WAS CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD FOR DOMINION.
