Holy Hustle: Embrace A Work-Hard, Rest-Well LifeSample

We sat on the folding chairs of our church gym one Sunday morning, having chosen to attend the more contemporary service instead of our usual service in the sanctuary. With five Sunday morning services to choose from, our church has found a way to be good stewards of their space, resources, and community by offering options that are inviting to everyone while maintaining the same strong Scripture-based messaging throughout their ministries. You might be in a gym with a preacher wearing jeans, but you will hear the gospel preached as clearly as in the sanctuary with a pastor wearing dress pants and a tie.

Last Sunday my husband and I were listening to a powerful message about generosity. At the end of the service we were asked to share what we would do if we found $100—ours to spend any way we liked. What did our family need most at that very moment? How would $100 change our circumstances? Listeners shared a few ideas—home improvement projects, new clothes for school, a meal to share with extended family. Across the room a woman spoke through tears. She would use the money to take her children away for a night to a hotel with a pool so they could laugh and play and be away, just for a few hours, from the abuse and fear of the night before. It was stunningly honest, vulnerable, and heartbreaking.

The pastor called her to the front, pulled $100 out of his wallet, and gave it to her. No strings attached. “You have no idea. You have no idea,” she sobbed. Church members in the seats nearby rose and surrounded her, a wall of prayer and support building around her as she wept. It was unplanned and unexpected, but a powerful challenge.

Would you do it? Would you use $100 for no other purpose than to outdo someone in honor and love by blessing them when God says “Give”? Whether you happen to have the money already in your wallet, or you need to save for six months, can we decide together to take the challenge? As we do the work God has given us, let’s be good stewards of the resources He provides and show others that holy hustle is different because we care more about people than platforms.

Kindness matters.