The American Dream

Growing up, we're always told that there are certain goals that we should be shooting for; a nice wife, a nice, new car, a nice house, 2.5 children, and a nice job. Lately, those things seem almost ridiculous to me. Not that having those things is bad, but is that seriously what I should aspire for? If it is, I'm a pitiful failure. I'm not married. I drive a used car. I live in a town house, and I have no children. I love my job desperately, but it's far from secure. I'm a church planter. I don't have a portfolio. I don't have a solid retirement plan. If what I said above is the "American Dream", then I must be from some other country.

I've been spending a lot of my time reading lately, and I'm starting to see the contradictions to the "American Dream" and God's plan. Matthew 6:25-34 says,

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I have to wonder if our worries, jobs, possessions, hobbies, even our service can get in the way of relationship with Christ.

I had the opportunity to speak on Sunday at Catalyst Christian Church, the church where I am currently the worship minister. I was given the task of speaking about the presence of God in our lives. It really seems like we get so filled up with the stuff of our "dreams" that we don't always have room for God. Even serving God can get in the way of actually spending time with Him.

I recently did some spring cleaning in my laptop's hard drive as I was beginning to run out of space. I quickly realized that I had a lot of junk on there that needed to be dumped; duplicate files and songs, funny video downloads that I haven't watched in a couple of years, pictures that needed to be archived. I found numerous random folders all over the place, and realized quickly just how complicated I had made my computer. Needless to say, I've started simplifying my system so I won't be wasting so much time searching for things, and spending more time doing what needs to be done.

I have to wonder if our lives have become that. Are we spending so much of our days filling in each hour with something to do, spending important emotional energy on needless things, or giving away so much service that there's nothing left? Our heart's could be in the right place, but an absence of time spent WITH God is still an absence of time. I'm only saying this because it's my greatest flaw. I think it's time we all simplify things a little. Make some time for God. Save some emotion for Him. Serve Christ daily with our lives, not just volunteer projects.

There are so many around the world who can't imagine living like we do here in the US, but, sometimes, I'm jealous of just how simple life could be without all of our stuff.