What Does the Bible Say About Hustle Culture?
Lots of people are speaking out against hustle culture now, but I’m not sure we know what to replace it with.
What Should We Replace Hustle With?
The biblical principle of “put on” and “put off” from Ephesians 4:22–24 teaches that we can’t just say, “That’s bad,” and put a behavior or attitude aside without having something to replace it with.
Too often as Christians, we think that our lack of growth is because we just don’t have enough willpower. I’d argue that the reason is actually because we don’t give ourselves something to “put on,” or because we put on alternatives that are not enough.
Romans 13:14 tells us what to put on:
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Stopping short of Jesus Himself is settling for what will not satisfy. Replacing hustle with slow is good, but it’s just not enough.
Put On the Lord Jesus Christ
So how can we replace a hustle mentality with Jesus?
Hebrews 4:10 says,
“For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, just as God did from His.”
We can both work heartily and rest heartily when we accept that it is not our works that will ensure our success, but His.
Learning to Work from a Place of Rest
The ritual of resting once a week is a shadow pointing to the spiritual rest we take in trusting in Jesus’ work for us—not only in our salvation, but also in His provision for us, as Psalm 127:2 reminds us:
“In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for He grants sleep to those He loves.”
Trusting Christ More Than Our Own Efforts
Focusing on the goodness of our Savior and trusting in His work for us allows us to work from a place of rest, not hustle.
So go forward with your workday today with this in mind: Jesus has got you.
When you find yourself getting anxious or working from that hustle mentality, remind yourself of what Jesus has accomplished—and is still accomplishing—for you.
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