nd manipulation, with the idea of power being a very common virtue among secular leadership philosophies as far back as Machiavelli’s The Prince. While secular theories promote the obtaining of power by any means necessary in order to lead, scripture teaches that man’s dominion over creation, his governmental powers, and his mandate to lead in ministry, at work, and at home are all derived from God and his command to rule.
As shown in Genesis 1 man is set above all creation, and is made to have dominion over all creation. With dominion comes the idea of leadership, and if man is created to rule in the grand sense of the word, then he is created to lead in the modest sense of the word. And so, it becomes clear that God has set mankind to not only rule over the natural world, but also over each other in the form of government, as well as being leaders in ministry, their jobs, and at home.
While the term ‘creation’ can, in the broad sense, mean both nature, including animals, and mankind, this section is concerned with the former. Psalm 8 reemphasizes God’s words in Genesis 1 when King David says this concerning man:
“5Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, 7all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, 8the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:5-8)
As King David points out God has charged man to look after the works of God’s own hand. This means that although man is set up as a ruler over creation, he rules only as a steward, and only with authority vested in him by the one who has all authority.
Psalms 104 speaks of the glory and splendor of the Lord, as well as the fact that he makes provision and cares for every creature on Earth. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount he instructs the people not to be anxious or worry excessively about their well being. Jesus drives the point home by saying, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matt. 6:26). God is deeply concerned with his creation, and in his immanence he provides for and sustains his creation.
This passage presents a very intriguing truth that really sets up a foundation for leadership. Jesus makes the point that even though animals—and in the subsequent verses he speaks about God’s care for plants as well—are lower than mankind God has a deep care and concern for them, a concern that is even greater when it comes to mankind.
In considering these things, any who would step into the leadership role must recognize that the initial charge to rule comes from God, and that it carries with it the command to look after the lower things in creation with great care. And if such solicitude is to be given to plants and animals, then, as Jesus himself said of the Father, much more consideration should be given to those persons under the leadership of an individual. Furthermore, those under the leader must hold said leader accountable to such a standard of nurture and care as presented in these passages.
 Unless otherwise noted all scripture references come from the English Standard Version of the Bible.
 Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy, Across The Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology, 2nd ed (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 99.
 Ibid, 103.
 Ibid, 106.
 Victor Stanley Jr., “Saving Jaguars,” The Double Edge, accessed December 14, 2015, http://hebrews4.com/2014/10/28/jaguars/.