Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You have crowned him with glory and honour. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. Psalm 8:5–6 (AMP)
Legalistic religion often sends the message that believers are just dirty, rotten, sinners, and that we are lucky if God even glances our way, let alone answers our prayers.
But is that Biblical? Today’s verses say God crowned mankind with glory and honour. That’s how He sees us! It then goes on to talk about what God has given us command over.
The word “dominion” is a term of royal authority. According to today’s verse, God has entrusted His creation to us, giving us dominion over it. And in Genesis 1:28, God commands us to fill the earth and subdue it.
Subdue is a powerful word meaning to overcome or bring under control by force. A police officer might use force to subdue a perpetrator, for example. However, we are never to abuse the authority God has given us. We are responsible to care for this planet (Gen. 2:15), and we are never to dominate each other (Matt. 20:25–27).
God crafted each of us in His own image, infused with love, value and authority on this planet. Our life on earth and the authority we’ve been given are incredible gifts. Let’s use them wisely!