Do the Work? Or Do the Surrender?
- Grayson "The Real GM" Marshall
- Aug 17
- 2 min read
I Used to Believe It!
“Do the work and let God do the rest.”
It sounded right. It sounded responsible. It sounded like faith.
But the truth is — I was a victim of this thinking.
I thought grinding, pushing, and manufacturing outcomes was somehow proof that I trusted God.I honestly believed that my hustle was holy.
Looking back, I realize I wasn’t exhibiting faith — I was exhausting myself in the name of faith.
The Misleading Hustle Gospel
When people use that phrase, it usually means:
Grind hard.
Hustle until you can’t anymore.
Push, pull, and manufacture results.
And then, when you’re exhausted, you expect God to “top off” your efforts like an energy drink.
That’s not faith — that’s a contract with yourself. It keeps God as your business partner, not your King.
What Jesus Actually Said the Work Is
The crowds asked Jesus this very question:
“What must we do to do the works God requires?”Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28–29)
Read that again.The work is not striving.
👉 The work is belief.
Belief that produces surrender.
Belief that moves you into obedience.
Belief that says: Not my will, but Yours be done.
My Shift: Servant Made, Not Self Made
This is exactly why the shift to Servant Made, Not Self Made was so necessary in my life.
I had to learn that Kingdom responsibility is not about hustling for God — it’s about dying to self.
Surrender: laying down my plan.
Submission: yielding to His authority.
Obedience: moving when He speaks, not when ambition drives.
This wasn’t just a philosophy change. It was a heart change.
Why Project 7:13 Matters Now
That’s why Project 7:13 is so critical today.
It’s about exposing the traditions and mindsets that keep us stuck in striving instead of surrendering. t’s about breaking the cultural addiction to hustle and calling us back to Kingdom obedience.
Because the Kingdom isn’t built on sweat equity. It’s built on surrendered lives.
What This Looks Like Practically
So what is the “work” we do?
Trusting God when logic says otherwise.
Stewarding what He’s placed in your hand.
Loving people as He commanded.
Taking faith steps when the Spirit leads.
It’s not about manufacturing outcomes. It’s about obedience in the moment and trust in the result.
Stop Working. Start Believing.
The next time you hear, “Do the work and let God do the rest,” flip it upside down:
Do the surrender.
Do the submission.
Do the belief.
That’s the only “work” God ever required.
And I know this because I lived the other way first — and it left me empty.
But being Servant Made, Not Self Made?That’s where I found freedom.
Would you like me to also condense this into a shorter version for a social media caption (while keeping this full one for blog/long post)?
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