Our Mandate to Rule, Create, and Cultivate By Dr. Zenet Maramara

Our Calling and The Stewardship Mandate

God’s first mandate to humanity, found in Genesis, is often called the creation or cultural mandate. This foundational calling entrusts humanity with the care of creation and establishes our stewardship mandate:

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ 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.’”

Genesis 1:26-28

God’s Ownership and Our Stewardship

Although God has given humanity dominion over the earth, he remains the ultimate owner. We are not autonomous rulers but stewards entrusted with the responsibility to care for, cultivate, and sustain creation according to His wisdom and purposes.

” The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

Psalm 103:19

“For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever!”

Romans 11:36

God’s rule is not about mere control but provision, sustenance, and direction. As His stewards, we must reflect His care, love, and creativity in managing His creation.

Our Calling to Work and Creativity

Our stewardship is not passive; it is a call to fruitfulness and productivity. Work is not a burden but a divine calling. When we work, we participate in God’s ongoing work of creating, sustaining, redeeming, and flourishing the world.

God calls us to transform the raw materials of creation into something that glorifies Him. Whether in the arts, sciences, business, or ministry, our work should reflect God’s creativity, wisdom, and righteousness.

As Colossians reminds us:

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

Colossians 3:23

Our stewardship obligation is to sustain what exists and contribute to its flourishing—cultivating culture, building communities, and seeking the good of all creation. For the steward of God, every work is an entrepreneurial endeavor; even starting a church or a ministry is an entrepreneurial endeavor. We strive to grow and flourish whatever the Lord puts in our care.

Ruling with Service and Humility

Stewardship extends beyond creation care—it also applies to leadership and administration. To rule with God means to lead with humility, service, and a commitment to justice, mirroring God’s character.

Unlike worldly leadership, which often seeks power and control, biblical dominion (Hebrew: radah) implies stewardship, responsibility, and ruling with compassion rather than oppression. True leadership is about serving others, not using them as a means to an end.

As Philippians exhorts,

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Do not look to your own interests, but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Phillippians 2:3

Steward leaders seek transformation, not manipulation. They recognize that their authority is a trust from God, requiring faithfulness, surrender, and dependence on Him rather than a desire for control.

Living as Faithful Stewards

Ultimately, we are not owners—we are stewards. Our calling is to work alongside God, reflecting and representing Him in all we do. We are responsible for nurturing and flourishing what He has entrusted to us, aligning our lives with His purposes.

As 1 Chronicles declares:

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is Yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; You are exalted as head overall.”

I Chronicles 29:11-12

By living as faithful stewards, we partner with God in bringing His kingdom on earth, glorifying Him in our work, leadership, and care for His creation.

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Dr. Zenet Maramara is the founder and president of the Christian Stewards, Philippines, and co-founder of Christians in Conversation, a Rocha-associated project. CSA promotes biblical stewardship, giving, and generosity. She served as chair of the Global Trust Partners and was a professor of biblical stewardship at the Asian Theological Seminary in Manila.