Have you ever completed a project of some sort and then took a look at the project with admiration and a sense of accomplishment? It could be anything from cooking a meal, painting a room, mowing the yard, cleaning and organizing your desk, coloring a picture, reading a book, etc.
A few days ago my son mowed our yard and I did the weed eating and edging. As I always do, I took several looks at the freshly mowed yard and thought about how good it looked (in spite of the weeds in the yard). Why do we do that? I think it goes back to being made in the image of God. In Genesis 1:26 we read that “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 birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”
So a part of being made in the image of God includes being given dominion over God’s creation. Many people misunderstand the word “dominion” to mean domination. I don’t think that is an accurate understanding. The definition I have heard that I think best describes what it is to take dominion is to make all things flourish to the glory of God.
That’s why we look at our accomplishments, whether they be simple or complex, and have a sense of satisfaction at what we have done. Grass is part of God’s creation, and by fertilizing, mowing, and edging we make it flourish – hopefully to the glory of God. I really don’t think birds look at their nests and have that same sense of accomplishment that we do because birds are not made in the image of God like man is.
When Robin and I went to the Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. a couple weeks ago, we looked at the section that focused on transportation. It is amazing to see how man has taken God’s creation and little by little made it flourish. Do birds make improvements in their nest building over the years? I don’t think so.
The danger that we must also keep in mind is that because of sin, man often takes that God-given ability to take dominion and uses it for sinful purposes. It is used in ways that lift up man and oppose God and His work in the world. But as Christians we have the obligation to make all of life flourish to the glory of God. We should take the abilities and opportunities that God gives us and make the best possible use of them – for God’s glory.
So if you look back at a freshly mowed yard like I do, we have to make sure that we not only have that sense of accomplishment, but we must also give thanks to God for the ability and responsibility He has given to take dominion in this world for His glory.