This post by Chris Anderson comes from Gospel Meditations for Young Adults (Day 1).
“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:28)
The Dominion Mandate doesn’t get enough attention. God’s first directive to humanity is epic. He commanded us to “have dominion” over everything else He made (Genesis 1:26). No fewer than three times, God told us that our job is to manage the created order on His behalf (Genesis 1:26, 28–30; 2:15). That’s important, and it has liberating and life-altering implications for you!
First, God wants you to find meaning in your work.
What does exercising dominion look like? Agriculture. Economics. Medicine. Engineering. Chemistry. Composition. Technology. Education. Child-rearing. Pastoring. Law. Publishing. The Dominion Mandate (sometimes called the Creation Mandate) legitimizes a mind-numbing array of careers.
It was fashionable at one time to stigmatize “non-ministry professions” as “secular.” But serving God in your area of interest and expertise is an act of obedience. Indeed, rightly understood, doing excellent work as a programmer or teacher or landscaper is worship!
Second, God wants you to take pleasure in His world.
We live in a fallen world. It was entrusted to us, and we broke it. (“You had one job, Adam!”) And yet, even in its fallen condition, the world shouts the goodness and creativity of God. Because we have been made in God’s image, we are uniquely able to enjoy this world. So, enjoy it!
What does that look like? Use your imagination. I challenge young people to travel the world. Make a bucket list. Schedule a safari. View Victoria Falls. Navigate the Nile. Look around the Louvre. Walk on the Great Wall. Squint up at sequoias. Pose with the Pyramids. I’m serious about this. Cultivate a sense of adventure. Feed your wanderlust. Develop a taste for great music. Become a foodie. Learn to appreciate art. Read! Enjoy the glorious world God created for our enjoyment (1 Timothy 6:17).
These things won’t satisfy you. There are scores of well-read, well-traveled people who have found it all to be vanity. (Read Ecclesiastes.) Satisfaction comes from the Creator, not creation. Only the Savior truly satisfies (John 4:13–14). But once you’ve come to know Him and made Him the centerpiece of your life, well…have a blast! Get to it!
Finally, God wants you to mash up the Dominion Mandate and Great Commission.
The Dominion Mandate is important; the Great Commission is essential. God has called every Christian to invest his or her life in making disciples, all over the globe (Matthew 28:18–20). He has drafted us into His army and commanded us to preach the gospel, everywhere (Mark 16:15). For some readers, that means making missions your life work. But for far more, it means making missions part of your life work.
You don’t have to choose between a killer career and missions. Your career can open doors for you that are closed tight to traditional missionaries. Get medical training. Then take it to a closed country like China. Learn technology. Then take it to a closed country like Sweden. (Yes, Sweden is closed. Most European countries are following its example.) Your God-given interest—solemnized in the Dominion Mandate—can take you all over the world, not just as a tourist, but as a tent-making missionary—often without having to raise missionary support! (See Paul’s bi-vocational work in Acts 18.) This is the future of missions. And it could be your future!
I love Pixar’s Up. Ellie was right: “Adventure is out there!” And you have a Bible that tells you to chase it for God’s glory!
Let the gospel give meaning to a lifetime of adventure and service.
Explore the whole book!
Young people in the church today are experiencing unique social and spiritual challenges. And yet there is gospel hope, found in the Bible and Jesus Christ. Gospel Meditations for Young Adults is written for Christians in their teens and twenties, designed to encourage them to endure opposition, thrive in relationships, and keep turning toward the Lord. Each of the 31 devotional readings aims to inspire young adults with a vision of the deeply satisfying life that will be theirs when they resolve to know, love, and serve their Savior.
