"Take vitamins, Tam", "Are you resting/ getting enough sleep?", four to five different people told me those in the span of a week. I laughed inside, flattered but concerned.

My life was out of balance. I rushed 8 AM-10 PM daily, drained and resentful of the workload I have. The sense of wonder from working was replaced with the feeling of numbness. It became easy to mindlessly reject additional tasks/cries for help along the way in my own “do-good” missions.

I’ve sacrificed people at the altar of work; whereas Jesus would sacrifice the sermon for the person.

I had bought into the lies the world is trying to sell—that our worth is found by what we bring to the table. My sense of identity was so enwrapped in the lure of today’s "hustle harder culture". Being “efficient” was my excuse for not loving well. Contrary to Jesus’ example, His giving of blessing is seen in moments perceived as "interruption".

Jesus can’t use me when my heart is tangled with wealth and success.

It’s not how heavy the load is, it’s how you carry the load that breaks your back.

Then, I went to LA for Praxis Academy, using entrepreneurship as a vehicle for redemptive action. Unlike any other conference or networking nights I have been into, it was REST-FUL: No one tries to up one another with their founders’ background. It wasn’t a hustle culture; it was about caring first for the persons and work was the means to that end. Their lives exemplify the kind of life I aspire to have—balanced, wholesome, and vibrant. Hearing and interacting with these Fortune 500 Company's faith-driven CEOs aiming to bless people and redeem culture, they taught me these timeless truths=

1. Rest is what freed people do.
We dare to rest because our live is not ours.

I can live a flourishing life while running with all my might for God's heart and God's will. In a culture of fear, I can trust that He will bring forth His righteousness and justice with or without me. My business doesn't rest on my own decision nor my employees' performance. I can commit to committing to change without obsessing about the outcome. My work was coming from a place of rest, dependency, and delight. The yoke of striving ceases as I focus not on impact but on having a meek spirit and obedient hands.

You and I are able to rest from working 9 am to 10 PM. We dare to take Sabbath, to turn off our phones, and to sleep peacefully at night—knowing Jesus is sovereign and cares for us deeply. He will make His will known and be done in our lives to bring forth His glory.

2. Being an entrepreneur is not a higher calling

We are freed from the burden of performance or making our business like someone else’s. We are free from comparison and evny as we are simply stewards of what cards He has dealt us. Some are called to tend to 100 people in the street corner shop. Some are called to be in tech-ed to influence 1,000,000 subscribers. It's not about whose doing it "better", it's about stewarding His gifts well. It’s to stoke in others the flame of God’s dream and God’s gifts in them. To hustle might actually be exploitative if we ourselves are not well. How can we heal and redeem if we exploit ourselves?

3. Investing in a community marked by sacrifice, creativity, and prayer.

One of my favorite sharing is by Jay martin from Martin Bionics, a tech company for limb replacement, who shared: “I woke up from a dream and God the ideas that now became this thriving company.” I remember him saying, “If God is able to create the complexity of the eye, how can He not give His people creativity if we ask.” We are freed from shame and guilt by the blood of Jesus to be able to think creatively to the world's deep problem.

Our call is mark ourselves with dependency to God through prayer, constant sacrifice, and creativity to the broken places of this world. We also intentionally create community who remind you of these timeless truths.

Fight the hustle culture by knowing God is the true CEO of the company/ work. Fight it through taking time to rest, pray, and reorient yourself to know you’re His steward. Instead of saying "I am doing this for God", let us be “doing it with God."

X,

Tam