The other day, we were considering why our lives do not reflect the light that God commanded in Genesis. And the answer we got was that perhaps the God we worship is not the Creator of Heaven and Earth. In Genesis 1.26, that same God said we should exercise dominion in life. Unfortunately, most believers go around like servants and slaves. What could be wrong?
There are two possibilities. The first one is that we are relating to and worshiping a God other than the one true God. Don’t let that surprise you and most definitely, don’t let it make you angry. How well do we know God? For example, I have heard pastors repeat things about God that are not true. They probably heard those things from other (more senior) pastors, liked the effect, and decided to adopt them.
Each time I hear such fallacies about God, I remember the young prophet. God gave him clear instructions that would allow him to exercise dominion in life, despite his youth. And he wanted to obey until he met a senior prophet. That senior prophet convinced him of a lie concerning God. Read it in 1 Kings 13.11-25. Although it is a rather long passage, please make time out to read it. That will convince you to always take your concept of God straight from the bible, not from a senior pastor.
He Failed To Exercise Dominion In Life
Long story short, this man of God lost the dominion that God was giving him. In fact, he lost his life for listening to another “man of God.” How about me? How about you? From where do you get your knowledge of God? From me? I hope not because as John said, I also am a human like you. From your pastor? That might even be worse because Paul talks of the danger of handling the word of God deceitfully.
In order to exercise dominion in life as God wanted us to do, we must know God for ourselves. We cannot depend on what the man of God says. If anger has not stopped you from reading up to this point, our take-away is really simple. Make time out every day to read the scriptures, because they speak of God and Jesus. Then and only then will you start to exercise dominion in life.
Be like God
The second possibility is that even though we know God personally, we do not imitate Him. We fail to appreciate that He created us in His image and likeness. Are you like God? Am I? Will someone who sees us believe they have seen God? For most of us, these sound like nonsensical questions, and yet they are real. There are instances where people saw some believers and thought they had seen God.
That was because those believers reminded them of God. In what ways do I resemble God? Or do I even behave like Him at all? How generous are we? Or do we not know that God gave so much that He ended up giving His only Son? That is why you are most like God when you give. How often and generously do you give to others? Particularly to those who cannot give back to you?
Unless we are generous and increase our circle of influence, we cannot exercise dominion in life. Am I advocating giving your money carelessly? Not at all. But each of us has the exact same amount of time every day – twenty-four hours. How much of it do you spend serving God and others? It is only as you resemble God that you start to exercise dominion in life.
Maranatha!
