What is the Cultural Mandate?
If you’ve ever clocked in on a job site, built something with your hands, raised kids, fixed a machine, cooked a meal, or managed a team, then you’ve lived out the cultural mandate. You may not have known the name for it, but the idea is rooted in Scripture and speaks to the everyday work of people like you and me.
The cultural mandate comes from the very first chapter of the Bible. Genesis 1:28 says:
“God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.”’
This is the cultural mandate. It’s God’s command, invitation, and blessing for humanity to steward creation, build culture, and do meaningful work in the world.
Work Is Not a Curse
Some people think work is a necessary evil, something we just have to do until we can retire or rest. But in Genesis, work existed before sin. God gave Adam and Eve work before the fall. That means work is good. It’s part of what it means to be human. It reflects something about God Himself—because God is a worker too. He created, He organized, and He called it good.
Whether you’re farming, teaching, fixing cars, designing homes, or cleaning floors—if you’re doing it with excellence and integrity, you are imaging God but also walking in obedience in His command to cultivate the earth and build culture.
Many assume faith belongs in church and work belongs at the office—but Scripture’s first command paints a more integrated picture. It tells us that all good work—not just church work—is part of God’s plan. The job site, the kitchen, the office, the hospital room, and the classroom are all places where God’s people can serve Him and help others flourish.
That doesn’t mean you have to preach at work. It means you show up, work hard, care for people, and do your job well. That is faith in action.
Building Culture, Not Just Buildings
The word “culture” might sound overwhelming or irrelevant to your work, but it just means people making and shaping the world together. God told Adam and Eve to “fill the earth and subdue it.” That’s about more than farming. It’s about creating the world we live in.
When you raise kids, you’re shaping the future. When you build a house, you’re providing shelter. When you write a song, fix a sink, or lead a team—you’re doing culture-making work. The cultural mandate invites everyone into that creative, constructive task.
The Mandate Still Stands
After sin entered the world, work got harder. We feel that every time we sweat, get frustrated, or see broken systems. But the cultural mandate didn’t go away. And in Jesus, we see it fulfilled and renewed. Jesus worked as a carpenter. He walked dusty roads. He ate with workers and taught fishermen. He didn’t reject the world—He entered it to redeem it.
Today, every Christian is called to continue that mission. The cultural mandate reminds us that what we do Monday through Saturday can be just as sacred as what happens on Sunday.
Are you interested in learning more about how your faith connects with your daily work? Join us on October 11th at Open Door Church in Raleigh for the first-ever Co-Labor Conference. Learn more and register here!