The Trap of More: Why Hustling Harder Isn’t the Answer

Do you ever feel like you’re running full speed but still getting nowhere?

You hit one goal, and suddenly a new one appears. You make money, and it’s somehow never enough. You tell yourself, If I could just get there, I’d finally be happy. But that “there” keeps moving. Welcome to the trap of more — a lie so deeply embedded in modern culture that we don’t even realize we’re stuck in it.

In this week’s Launch Your Rocket, Jen Smith shines a light on this soul-draining cycle, and more importantly, how to break free.

Quoting Proverbs 27:20 — “Ambition and death are alike in this: neither are satisfied” — she explains that unrooted ambition is like death. It consumes endlessly but never fills us. When we chase without spiritual alignment, even our biggest wins feel hollow.

This isn’t a call to stop dreaming. God absolutely wants us to live beautiful, abundant lives. But there’s a difference between chasing a dream and aligning with your divine purpose.

The hustle culture formula says: push, grind, compare, compete. But Ecclesiastes 1:14 calls this “chasing the wind.” The moment we step off the world’s treadmill and into alignment with God’s timing, everything begins to shift.

Jen encourages us to trade hustle for holy alignment. Matthew 6:33 reminds us: “He will give them to you if you give him first place in your life.” The things we’re striving for — success, fulfillment, peace — were never meant to be hunted down. They were meant to be attracted through obedience.

Jen shares her personal story — how her creativity dries up when she disconnects from God, and how it flows like rain when she’s spiritually aligned. Her insight is clear: it’s not about pushing harder. It’s about getting back to the Source.

And that’s the shift. When you move from striving to alignment, from pressure to peace, your dreams don’t disappear — they chase you down. Psalm 37:4 confirms it: “Be delighted with the Lord, then He will give you your heart’s desires.”

So today, Jen challenges you to stop running. Lay it down. Reconnect with God. Let go of what was never meant to fulfill you — and open your hands to what always was.

Looking to reconnect? Start with our Bible 101 course, or tune in every week for a dose of grounded, God-centered wisdom. This isn’t just motivation — it’s your blueprint for peace and purpose.