Psalm 8.3-9
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
To help you keep your life in focus, here is a strategic view of how the kingdom plays a central role in God’s purpose and plan.
God’s plan was to establish his kingdom on planet earth by living in and ruling through man. God created man in his image and gave man dominion over the earth. Another way of saying this is that God gave man responsibility and stewardship over his estate (the inheritance). God created man to live and work on earth in a way that reflects God’s character and represents his rule. We were created to be bearers of God’s image and agents of his kingdom. This is the Prime Directive.
Keep in mind that our ability to have dominion and represent God’s kingdom is dependent on the presence of God’s image and life in us. (Gen.1.26-28; Psalm 8). The image of God equipped man with the unique attributes necessary for having dominion over the earth in a manner worthy of His standards.
- The moral dimension = character. This is knowing right and wrong, and doing what is right.
- The functional dimension = competence. This is thinking wisely, acting productively, and building things that work effectively and display beauty. It is the capacity to skillfully do task-specific work.
- The relational dimension = connection. This is developing and sustaining a right relationship with God and with others. Simply put, loving God and loving others, and doing so according to God’s standards of love.
God created the moral, the functional, and the relational dimensions to operate together as an integrated whole. The individual elements are not designed to work in isolation; each element affects the other two. Additionally, strength in one will not compensate for weakness in another. The three dimensions are the heartbeat of what it means to be created by God and to bear the Imago Dei. And again, this three-dimensional system was essential for mankind to fulfill the Prime Directive of being stewards for God who oversee his creation.
Tomorrow we look at The Fall.
