Money, Hustle & Tithing: Does God Care About Your Grind? Balancing ambition, stewardship, and financial faithfulness.

In today’s world, phrases like “God, hustle, and grind” are often heard together, especially among young people and also in spaces where faith meets ambition. 

But the older ones of us might ask a very good question: Is this alignment just generational, cultural, or is there a deeper spiritual truth that connects these concepts? 

I would say again, very often, if not at all times, we must look at things from a spiritual perspective. We cannot just adopt or abandon these wordly sayings as secular and not for us as Christians. You will find that a lot of these quotes have some basis in the scriptures, and somewhere along the line, a mistruth is tossed in and the unassuming person gets misled or fooled.

1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT) “But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.”

Colossians 2:8 (NIV) “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”

2 Corinthians 11:14–15 (ESV) “And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.”

1 John 4:1 (KJV) “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

And Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

To get directly into the topic for today, let’s talk about why we say "God and grind" in the same breath. 

The term grind refers to consistent effort, sacrifice, and discipline. Scripture never discourages hard work. In fact, Proverbs 14:23 (NLT) says, “Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty.” That’s grind. 

But here’s the distinction: the Christian grind isn’t fueled by self-glory—it’s driven by purpose. 

Colossians 3:23 (NLT) affirms this: “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”

This means our daily hustle must be aligned with heaven’s assignment. 

So hustling isn’t sinful when it’s guided by stewardship, character, and a heart surrendered to God. 

Look at Nehemiah. He wasn’t a priest or a prophet—he was a man with a burden to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem. He worked, planned, led, and even fought off enemies while on assignment. 

That’s hustle—sanctified. 

Nehemiah 4:6 (AMP) reads, “So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together... for the people had a heart to work.” 

These people didn’t wait for a miracle—they became the miracle, by grinding in faith.

Even the Apostle Paul was a tentmaker. He had a profession alongside his ministry. Did you know that? I didn’t know that.

In Acts 18:3 (NLT) it says, “Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was.” 

So Paul didn’t depend solely on others—he hustled while fulfilling his calling. His grind wasn’t apart from God—it was a reflection of God’s empowerment. 

So today it doesn’t do anyone any good to speak out against preachers who work. Once of course it doesn’t interfere with their calling to minister. Amen?!

But let’s shift the focus to tithing. 

If we’re working, grinding, hustling and earning, what does Scripture say about giving back?

Malachi 3:10 (NLT) says, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you...” 

The instruction is clear—bring the tithe to the storehouse. Question is: what is the storehouse, where is the storehouse?

In the Old Testament, this was the temple—God’s house where the priests ministered and people gathered.

However, in the New Testament, while the word “tithe” is mentioned less, the principle of generous, consistent giving is still emphasized. 

Hebrews 7:8 (MSG) says, “In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by one who is declared to be living.” 

This passage refers to Jesus as our eternal High Priest, showing that giving, including tithing, is ultimately a spiritual act—not just a transaction.

So, to whom should you give your tithe? 

Scripture points to the storehouse—that is, the place where you're spiritually fed, equipped, and covered. Traditionally, that’s the local church. However, in modern times, some believers also support ministries, Christian organizations, and even individuals, especially when those efforts are actively feeding, discipling, and equipping others. 

In effect, we must always tithe with integrity, accountability, and prayerful discernment. 

Proverbs 3:9 (AMP) says, “Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your crops.”

Ok what about giving to family? 

The Bible teaches us to care for our households. 

1 Timothy 5:8 (NLT) says, “But those who won’t care for their relatives... have denied the true faith.” 

Now that is about responsibility, not tithing. Giving to your family is a moral obligation. Tithing is spiritual obedience.

On now to managing our money. Managing money well is central to living out the real Christian life. 

Stewardship is not about how much you have, but how wisely you manage what God has entrusted to you. 

Luke 16:10-11 (NLT) says, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones... And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?”

Many people pray for wealth. Oh I want to be rich. I wish I had more money. If I was wealthy I would do this and that. But the same people neglect to steward what they already have. I am so guilty here.

Family, real stewardship involves budgeting, saving, investing, giving, and living within our means. 

The parable of the talents in Matthew 25 (NLT) proves this. The master didn’t reward the man who did nothing with his money—even though he returned it intact. He was called “wicked and lazy” because he didn’t multiply what was given.

So yes, God cares about our grind. He’s not against our hustle—He’s against misaligned hustle. He delights in our diligence, but He desires to be first in our finances, focus, and future. 

The grind that glorifies God is one that puts faith over fear, stewardship over selfishness, and obedience over opportunity.

As believers, we must live with the conviction that everything we have—our money, our job, our time—is God’s. We’re just managing it. 

That truth should shape our grind, fuel our hustle, and direct our giving. 

So the grind is not just about survival—it’s about stewardship. And the ultimate reward is not just wealth, but the words: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23, NLT).

aub - 29May25

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