“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” - Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)

The gift of dominion is a Divine legal right and power given to man by God to exercise stewardship over the works of God’s hand. It took God six days to create the world, and then He rested, but before resting, He created man and delegated to man the responsibility of managing the earth. My guess is that He is able to rest because He turned the work over to us.  

God has ordained three main institutions through which we can exercise the gift of dominion;

• Family, which is primarily responsible for procreation
• Government, which is primarily responsible for law and order
• Business, which is primarily responsible for provision

Business is used to exercise the gift of dominion in the marketplace. Our ability to effectively subdue, multiply, and have dominion over the works of God’s hand through business depends on our understanding of how business works. God has not limited this gift of dominion only to those who would accept Him, but it is available to every human being.

Throughout the history of the world, many discoveries, innovations, and inventions were developed by people who were motivated by a desire to serve humanity, and empowered by the gift of dominion. This gift has enabled man to tame animals, walk on the moon, discover new territories, develop major medical discoveries and technological advancements, and build bridges, airplanes, automobiles, and even weapons of mass destruction. Every major invention, discovery, or achievement man has been able to accomplish is a result of this simple gift.

The gift of dominion is exercised differently by Christians and non-believers. Christians will be motivated by the desire to glorify God and serve humanity, whereas non-believer is usually motivated by self-centered ambition, pride, and personal greed.

"You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet." -  Psalm 8:6 (NKJV)

"And the LORD said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’" -  Genesis 11:6 (NKJV)

To effectively walk in the gift of dominion as God intended, you must possess some (if not all) of these characteristics:

1. Faith – A strong belief in the existence of God and in His supernatural power
2. Knowledge – Skills acquired by a person through experience or education
3. Discipline – A systematic approach to life that requires willpower
4. Industrious – The ability to work hard, be creative, and persevere
5. Organized – To form a structured or coherent whole
6. Planning  - A series of steps carried out according to a specific timetable
7. Follow through - Ability to bring a process through to its completion

Successful Kingdom businesses walk in dominion. They are not intimidated by market changes or circumstances. Rather, they take control of the market and their circumstances. They have an internal belief in God’s destiny for their lives. They do not give in to fear and doubt; they maintain the courage to press on no matter what the circumstances.    

Have you allowed the forces of the market to intimidate you? Are you living in doubt as a result of your current circumstances?

Reflect upon the following Scriptures, and begin to exercise the unconditional gift of dominion that God has given you:

• Psalm 8
• Jeremiah 29:11
• Matthew 17:20

My prayer for you is that God will give you the grace to activate the gift of dominion that He has placed in you,  to enable you to realize His plan and purpose for your life and business.