Dominion: Postures - Jordan Thurmond

How do we fully embrace this idea of dominion? What does it take for us to not only claim that we have some kind of dominion over creation, but to live it out daily? Over the past few weeks, we have been building up to answering these questions and this week spoke to me in a different way than past weeks. Mel showed us the posture or postures you can take when it comes to dominion. We can either stand in the pattern of the world or be renewed with the mind of Christ. Here is what Mel explained:

Pattern of this world:

Scarcity. Selfishness. Comparison. Competition. Noise. Chaos. Hustle. Fear. Shame.

Renewing of the mind of Christ:

Contentment. Courage. Hope. Abundance. Joy. Peace. Compassion. Gratitude. Shalom. Love.

I began to see a common denominator among the Christ centered postures. What I saw underneath it all was a posture of mutual submission. How can that be? Something about it just doesn’t make sense. How is it that submission is the way to dominion? Don’t we need to compete and hustle or instill fear to assert our dominion? In the ways of the world, that may be true. But, in the ways of a kingdom mindset, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Mutual submission among believers takes out the need to compete. It takes out the fear because we find that no one is out to get us. Instead, everyone else is out for us and with us. Mutual submission brings peace and clarity, not chaos and added noise.

When we approach dominion with the posture of submission, we can have contentment, live in abundance, and share in a mutual joy that can only be had in community. Mutual submission among believers takes out the need to compete. It takes out the fear because we find that no one is out to get us. Instead, everyone else is out for us and with us. Mutual submission brings peace and clarity, not chaos and added noise.

So, what I would encourage all of us to do is live with the posture of submission to each other, allowing Christ to renew how we stand in our community and in the world. When we see ourselves acting under the pattern of the world, stop and look around. Think about why and allow yourself to be renewed with the mind of Christ so that your actions are those of grace, humility, and mutual submission. In a world filled with fear, be the bringer of peace with your posture.

Let’s start with the words of Paul from Colossians 3:12-15.

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

This post was inspired by a message spoken at Element Church that can be found here.