Hustle Culture Isn’t a Work Problem—It’s a Trust Problem
Over my last 16 years in network marketing, I’ve witnessed a pendulum swing. In the beginning, when most of us considered our businesses a “mompreneur” side thing—we really didn’t participate in hustle.
We had fun. We quietly worked our businesses, but our primary focus was on our families—our homes—our churches. We lived and celebrated all of life integrally.
And many of us have continued this way—or at least tried. But somewhere along the way, there was a shift in our culture (perhaps it was the rise of the social media influencer—massive-enrolling superstars). We started to compare ourselves to an artificial standard.
Hustle culture took the stage. And it felt almost irresponsible not to participate. Enter Hustle’s co-star: guilt.
Hustle culture loves to disguise itself as virtue. Hard work. Discipline. Action. Responsibility. Seemingly all good things — until they quietly replace something deeper.
At its core, hustle culture isn’t really about effort. It’s about control.
The Lie Beneath the Grind
Like most topics, we Christians too often take verses from the Bible, like the warning in the book of Matthew, “You cannot serve God and Mammon,” and try to turn it into a wooden rule.
But Mammon is not just about money.
It’s about false security — the belief that if I can just produce enough, earn enough, plan enough, grind enough—do it RIGHT enough, I can finally be safe.
That’s why Jesus doesn’t frame anxiety as a budgeting issue or a time-management problem. He frames it as a lordship issue.
Who do you trust to hold your future?
Hustle culture trains us to believe:
- If I stop, everything collapses.
- If I don’t push harder, I’ll fall behind.
- If I don’t secure this myself, no one will.
- If I don’t work harder, I’ll let people down.
Mammon quietly takes the place of God, as we sit comfortably (or uncomfortably) on the throne.
Income becomes protection. Productivity becomes self-worth. Success becomes safety.
And suddenly, rest feels dangerous—irresponsible—even sinful. Can you relate?
But that guilt isn’t from God. And that safety isn’t safe. And Scripture never presents provision as a savior.
God is the source. Provision is only a tool.
Jesus says not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew 6:34) — not because tomorrow doesn’t matter, but because tomorrow makes a terrible master and robs today of strength.
Hustle culture lives on borrowed fear:
- Fear of not being enough
- Fear of being left behind
- Fear of losing control
- Fear of letting someone down
It doesn’t look physically lazy, so we turn it into a virtue—but is it spiritually lazy?
Biblical Trust says: “God is my provider.”
Sinful Control says: “Everything depends on me.”
That’s why hustle feels noble but leaves us exhausted. If trust has been replaced by pressure, you can be faithful, productive, and exhausted—all at the same time.
Jesus wasn’t promoting laziness—He never condemned planning or preparation; He condemned anxiety because it denied His provision—His power—it denied our trust in Him.
You can hustle in the name of responsibility and still be ruled by fear and guilt. You can build impressive systems and still live as if God is unreliable. You can “do everything right” and still be serving Mammon.
Hustle culture isn’t healed by better boundaries alone—it’s healed by a shift in lordship.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
When God is first:
- Work becomes stewardship, not striving
- Planning becomes wisdom, not obsession
- Effort becomes obedience, not self-salvation
Instead of an obligation, serving becomes a privilege.
The Invitation
I’m not here to discourage hard work. That’s the very last thing we need right now! The opposite of hustle culture isn’t laziness; it’s faithfulness…fueled by TRUST in God. That balance is key.
Because the moment provision becomes my savior, the future becomes my master, and control replaces trust — that’s when we know Mammon has taken the throne.
And Jesus is very clear: we can’t serve both.
The question isn’t how hard we’re working.
The question is who we’re truly trusting while we work.
And when we trust Him, hustle loses its grip, peace returns to its place, and our work becomes worship again.
