So God created mankind in his own image,
 in the image of God he created them;
 male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

- Genesis 1:27-29

The first thing we see about God is that he’s creative. And we bear his image. Part of what it means to bear the image of God is that we’ve been given an impulse to create.

Notice that God made both men and women in his image. This is a very subversive idea. In the ancient world and in many places in the world today, women were treated as if they had very little value. And, yet, according to this passage, both men and women bear the same stamp of God on their lives.

God envisioned men and women working together in the world he created. His commands in this passage are “y’all” commands and “all y’all” commands. Both men and women are called to be co-creators and sub-creators in this new, beautiful place they've been given.

Most of work is about solving problems. From the very beginning, people were tasked to find a way to cultivate, order and harvest. A garden left untended doesn’t remain a garden for long. Even in the original, unfallen world, there was chaos to be put down.

The volume of the chaos was turned up after the fall of humanity (more on this in a few days). And this means that there’s an even greater need for help if we’re going to flourish.

What is your sphere of rule in this world? Where do you have opportunities to bring order to chaos? What does it mean for you to do that in community today with co-workers, a spouse, students, friends or extended family?