God made Adam and Eve and gave them dominion. Dominion means that they were in charge. They had authority over the earth for the good of the earth. God set them in a beautiful garden and said, "Be fruitful and multiply." Everything was perfect in their world until one day, the enemy came into their camp.
There was only one rule that Adam and Eve had to follow. God told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so what did the enemy do? He took that one thing and drew attention to it. He made it the biggest thing. He talked about it and got them so focused on what they couldn't do that they no longer could appreciate all that they could do. They were no longer focused on their beautiful surroundings. They were no longer focused on all the trees they could eat from, and one day, they took the bait. They disobeyed God, and it drove a wedge in their relationship with Him.
From the very beginning of time, the enemy has tried to drive a wedge between man and God. He has been after the dominion of the earth which God gave to mankind. But the story doesn't end there. God overruled what the enemy tried to establish by sending His son, Jesus. God loved you so much that when Jesus came, He gave you back the dominion and authority that the enemy tried to steal. Jesus came to empower us to live life more abundantly! If Jesus loves your life so much, shouldn't you love your life and live your life to the full?
Loving your life begins by taking dominion of what's going on inside of you. If you are letting people steal your joy, you aren't living. If you are letting your surroundings make you miserable, you aren't living. Think about what you are focused on. Think about who you are listening to. The choice Adam and Eve made in the garden resulted in them being taken out of the garden. Don't get focused on what you don't have and miss out on the blessings that God has for you! Keep dominion of your world and walk closely with God all the days of your life!
"You have given him dominion over the works of your hands…" (Psalm 8:6, ESV)