Marcus and Ace are examining hustle culture and its impact on the Christian Hip Hop community on this week’s episode of The 116 Life. 

Are you a Christian creative?  Has God given you a vision?  If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then keep reading (click play).  When we lock in on our mission, our purpose, it’s always all gas no breaks.  Hustle mode activated.  But is that healthy?  More importantly, is it Godly?  To answer that question, we need to clearly identify and define our work.

A Christian approach

“Our work should be work that serves others,” explains Marcus.  It “should be work that calls on our unique gifts and capacities.  What are you good at and how do you use that to serve others?”  Our identity is in Christ not in our “success”.  “That is how it becomes fulfilling.  When [our work] is tied up in and benefiting others and the greater good.”

If it’s not about service it’s about money.  Bottom line.  And determining that for ourselves requires some serious self-reflecting. 

Speaking to the creatives, Ace says to create your vision but don’t hoard it.  “We have it mapped out how this gift is supposed to work.  We need to enter into the place of surrendering the gift.”  Let go and let God.  Perfection is not a prerequisite.  Our whole heart is.   

How do we disrupt hustle culture programming?

If we understand that it is really not our vision, but God’s we will move differently.  “The mystery of it all is God is doing it.  He’s just invited you into it for a finite period of time,” Marcus reveals.

Hustle Culture tells us to hustle hard and play hard.  We are constantly bombarded with messages that reinforce the hustle-hard mentality.  The reality is the word itself; hustle creates a “spell” if you will that has real-life spiritual implications.  Among its many definitions are coerced, obtain by force and obtain by energetic activity. 

But when we are tapped in with the Holy Spirit and have identified God’s purpose for our lives.  His good and perfect will for us, we began to understand the need to recharge. 

The Bible actually teaches us that rest is Godly.  For six “days,” God created or worked if you will.  And on the seventh, he rested.  We call it the sabbath.  And it’s to be honored.  “Remember the sabbath and keep it holy,” Marcus explains.  “That’s for our benefit.” 

“Work hard and rest well,” declares Ace.  You can listen to The 116 Life Tuesdays at 8 pm est. on Holy Culture Radio Sirius XM Channel 154.  Be sure to follow Holy Culture on your favorite social media platforms.  Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter.