Speed Demons: Letting Go of Hustle Culture and Embracing Rest
By Toby Armstrong
In May 2024, a story surfaced that might seem like a win at first glance—AI startups in Silicon Valley introduced nap pods to help their employees combat burnout. Sounds progressive, right? But here’s the truth: the very culture that created the need for those nap pods still thrives. Employees are still clocking long hours, drowning in deadlines, and feeling the weight of constant pressure to perform. The nap pods? They’re just a band-aid.
And maybe you’re thinking, "Well, that’s Silicon Valley—what does that have to do with me?" The reality is, hustle culture isn’t confined to tech giants in California. It’s everywhere. It's in the emails we check late at night, the feeling that we're never quite doing enough, and the voice in our heads telling us that rest is for the weak. Whether you’re working a 9-to-5, raising kids, managing a side hustle, or all of the above—this culture of go, go, go has seeped into our everyday lives.
But have you ever paused to ask: what is all this hustle really doing to us? Are we actually more fulfilled, or are we running ourselves ragged?
We’ve all felt it—the pressure to be constantly productive, to push ourselves harder, and to measure our worth by how much we get done. Hustle culture tells us that rest is for people who aren’t ambitious enough. It glorifies the grind and promises success in exchange for burnout. Whether you’re juggling multiple roles at work, trying to keep up with family demands, or feeling the weight of constant busyness, the message is clear: if you’re not moving, you’re falling behind.
But here’s the catch: hustle culture isn’t just affecting our work lives—it’s creeping into our spiritual lives too. It convinces us that even our faith journey has to be productive, efficient, and always in motion. We start thinking that if we’re not doing enough—serving more, volunteering more, praying harder—then we’re not worthy. It leaves little room for grace, and even less for rest.
But Jesus offers us something radically different. In a world that constantly demands more from us, He invites us into a place of rest and peace. In Matthew 11:28-30, He says:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Think about that for a second. Jesus doesn’t say, “Come to me and I’ll make you more productive.” He doesn’t say, “Come to me and I’ll help you hustle harder.” No, He says He’ll give us rest. And not just a quick nap in a pod—real rest for our souls.
Jesus is offering us the very thing hustle culture says we can’t afford: time to breathe, to reflect, to reconnect with what truly matters. While hustle culture tells us our worth is in how much we do, Jesus says our worth is in who we are—children of God, loved and valued just as we are.
Spiritual writer Henri Nouwen captures this beautifully. He says:
"To wait with openness and trust is an enormously radical attitude toward life. It is choosing to hope that something is happening for us that is far beyond our own imaginings. It is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life."
This strikes a deep chord in our fast-paced world. We’ve been taught that control is everything—control over our careers, our families, our futures. But letting go? That sounds risky. And yet, Nouwen and Jesus both invite us to release that need for control and trust that God is at work, even in our moments of stillness.
It’s scary to slow down. We wonder, “What if I fall behind?” But what if falling behind in the eyes of hustle culture is actually moving forward in the eyes of God? What if by letting go of our need to always be “on,” we create space for God to move in our lives in deeper, more meaningful ways?
It’s time to ask yourself: What are you holding onto that’s keeping you from rest? Is it the constant need to feel productive, the pressure to be everything to everyone, or the fear that if you slow down, you’ll lose your worth? Jesus calls us to let go of those lies. He asks us to trust that we are enough, simply because we are loved by Him.
In a world that idolizes hustle, choosing rest is an act of rebellion. Rest isn’t just something we do when we’re too tired to keep going—it’s a sacred rhythm. It’s a way of saying, “I trust that God’s plans for my life don’t depend on my ability to hustle harder.” Jesus Himself practiced this rhythm of rest. Despite the urgency of His mission, He frequently withdrew to quiet places to pray and recharge (Luke 5:16). If even the Son of God took time to rest, why do we think we don’t need it?
The nap pods in Silicon Valley show us that deep down, we know we need rest. But a 20-minute break in the middle of a chaotic workday isn’t enough. True rest, the kind Jesus offers, goes beyond physical relaxation—it’s about renewing our spirits, reconnecting with God, and letting go of the need to always be achieving.
At The Outpost, we live by the mantra: rest, reset, reimagine everything. It’s a reminder that rest isn’t a luxury, but a necessity. When we let go of the toxic demands of hustle culture, we open ourselves up to a deeper, more fulfilling way of life—one rooted in the rhythms of grace, not the grind.
So here’s the question: What would it look like for you to let go of hustle culture and embrace rest? Where do you need to slow down and trust that God’s plans for you are not contingent on how much you do, but on how much He loves you?
In a world full of speed demons, let’s choose the way of Jesus—a way that says we don’t have to hustle for our worth. Instead, we can rest, knowing that God’s love and purpose for our lives are far greater than anything we could accomplish on our own.
