Restful Leadership and the Lie of Hustle Culture

Hustle Culture vs. Rhythms of Grace: Leading People Into God's Rest

I don't know about you, but I'm really trying to leave the hustle/grind culture of entrepreneurs behind. If you've spent decades in the world of "self-made" men, you've likely encountered this same toxic set of lies. Or even fallen for them.

Hustle Culture says that your input = worthwhile output. Now, there's nothing wrong with a good work ethic. If you've been around the block, you know too well that get-rich-quick schemes are a load of nonsense. And the principle of rolling up your sleeves and getting to work is certainly one from God.

But, Hustle Culture... along with bootstrapping to achieve your American dream... teaches that you alone have the power to produce an enterprise. It says you can build your own kingdom. It says that you can plant the seeds, water and feed the plants, and even shine your very own light to produce a massive harvest.

And that's just ludicrous.

The Truth is, God is the gardener. He invites us to work alongside Him. He invites us into His work. But He created the seed and soil, He causes the rain and the sunshine, and by His authority alone do we experience harvest.

So after two years of detoxing from the anti-Truths of hustle, I surprised myself with this number...

Leading with Lies

"Baby girl, hurry! We're going to be late!"

While I *really* try not to say this to my children, there are plenty of mornings where the timeline of two four-year-old twins does NOT match... you know... reality.

The other morning, after I reminded one of my girls to quickly put on her shoes, she replied: "Gigi says I don't need to rush."

There I was, the mother speaking hurry over her. And there she was, the little girl letting the words of her dedicated grandmother ring in her ears. A grandmother who reminds her: "No need to rush sweetie. Take your time."

I had committed to leaving Hustle Culture behind me, but I was still speaking it over my children.

Where else was I letting the lies in? Where else was I leading people with toxic anti-Truths? Will I be the leader speaking pressure, hurry, hack, and hustle over my children?

Will I be part of the constant noise of a "self-made" world that tells my team that if they dig in, grind it out, and work harder they'll produce something worthwhile?

OR, will I be a child letting the voice of my Father ring in my ears?

Leading Them Toward Grace

I want to be a leader who lets the Spirit of God wash over me day in and day out, so that when I hear the lies of a hustling, "self-made" culture I can respond with confident faith.

I want to be a signpost to Jesus, mirroring His heart and His purpose to my team and my community.

If you're not familiar with the term bellwether, it's one I've recently learned and become quite fond of. A bellwether describes the "alpha" sheep among a flock. Shepherds would put a bell on this particular sheep and castrate it so that it could be entirely focused on the task at hand: becoming the leader of their flock. The bellwether would take its cues from the shepherd, and the flock would take cues from their alpha sheep.

This so perfectly describes our role as Christian leaders. We are bellwethers, forming tight bonds with Jesus so that we can point our teams and our communities to what the Shepherd is doing. We're meant to mirror His direction and follow His cues. 

I want to lead my children and my company to respond to the lies of HURRY, with:

> No. My Father says I don't need to rush. (Proverbs 21:5)
> No. My Father says that He has ordered my steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
> No. My Father says not to be anxious about anything. (Philippians 4:6)
> No. My Father says that I can live in Rhythms of Grace. (Matthew 11:28-30)
> No. My Father says that He is the provider. (Matthew 6:31, 33)

I want to be a bellwether that points people to Jesus, and His unique rhythms of grace. Restful work is an unusual idea. It's not one the world knows how to speak. It's our job to teach our teams to work in a restful way. One that recognizes God's provision, one that recognizes God's purposes, and one that relies on His power to produce a harvest that's worthwhile.