The American Dream

We all know what this is. The American Dream. The life we strive to obtain. The life we may already have. The life we want to grow our kids into and see their kids grow into as well. The good life. I am not above this concept, for I have also fell victim to the Siren sound of a comfortable life. I didn't live a comfortable life growing up by any means, so the thought and benefit of having a life that is worry free almost always gets my immediate attention.


My definition of the American Dream: Dream house, dream car, dream (hot) wife, dream body, dream job, dream pay, dream city, great healthy kids, reliable friends, comfortable situation in our comfortable America. (Be warned, we all have our definition of the American Dream, that may not look as the definition I described.) Anything less than that, and it's falling short.  That is the perfection that most of us try to obtain from the moment we begin to answer the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" While I believe that dreams aren't bad, and being ambitious is a good trait to have, I do know for a fact that this is not the life I am called to live. So, in this post, I will speak more about my own convictions & I hope you can understand what I mean when I say that the American Dream has made Christians like you and I believe that we need more than Jesus. That will never be true. Although I love the thought of a hot tub in the back of my dream house for my future wife and I, the thought of someone having no tub to bathe in at all is troubles me. I hope it's the same for you.

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Heaven is Better

The American Dream is flashy. It looks good. It comes with a bright future accompanied with safety and satisfaction. Satisfaction in worldly things that is. Truth is, we are obsessed with nice stuff.

For example, I really like nice cars and trucks. I've always wished that I could have a great job with awesome pay so that I would be able to pick whatever vehicle on the lot that I wanted. New cars look nice, but there was a point where I thought about those nice cars. What is truly the difference between a 2013 Lamborghini and my 2002 Accord? Other than the obvious look of the car and a few other key accessories, there is virtually no difference between the two. They both do what cars are made to do. Get me from point A to point B. This is how we are deceived by the nice things in this world. We want the nicest things, which cost the most money, which we have to work harder for, which in the grand scheme of life, wastes money & resources that can be better used elsewhere. So, while I'd rather have the Lambo, why should I give up so much to cop it? Just because things may look nicer, doesn't necessarily mean it's the wisest route to attain it. Francis Chan says in his book Crazy Love,

“Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.”

We all love nice stuff, but wasting our lives on things that do not matter is the worst of all failures. The "American Dream" that most of our society plays up to be the "Good Life" may look like heaven on earth, but it is really the worst way to waste your life.

Jesus says:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

(Matthew 6:19-21)

I believe that Jesus is telling us that there are many things on earth that look good but they aren't worth anything. Fools gold. Here on earth, everything is temporary. Things can be destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed again. Thieves can steal our possessions. Natural disasters can take a life's earning at any second. I was affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and I know what it is like to literally see every material possession washed away. Early, I learned that nothing you can ever buy or gain here will last forever.

Someone once told me that wherever your treasure is, lies your life. I believe Jesus is saying that here as well. So if I am living for something that only exists here on this planet, I am living for something that will never last. We were never called to chase treasure on earth but we are called to inherit the Kingdom of God. This is where most of us, yes, even the church, get life wrong.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

(Matthew 13:44)

We need to start living as if Heaven is a real place.

There is much to talk about when it comes to atheism & how they believe that God is not real & there is no heaven, but how much do we believers even talk about the place? We (Christians) must do better in living in a way that reflects the reality of heaven. A real place where there are no tears, worries, or pain. A place that is far better than this world. A lot of times, we live our lives "to the fullest" here, and never take into account that we have eternity. So which would be better, treasure here, or treasure in heaven? Does the way that I live here show the world that there is a place like that? I want to live in a way that will show how great the kingdom of heaven is, much like the guy in Matthew 13:44. Lecrae raps about that man in his song, Got Paper, saying: 

I'm like that dude in Matthew who after finding a treasure
Gave all he had to get it, that's a real go getta
People dying over wood grain chrome and some leather
They got expensive tastes but the faith tastes better

I want to live a life that says I'm living for more than what this world has to offer. And if God ever calls me to give something up, or go somewhere & leave behind "my life" or any thought of my American Dream, I want my response to be like the response in Isaiah 6: Send me, Lord I'll go. I want to be rooted in the fact there beyond this world lies something greater. There is much talk about the thought of God changing our lives, but that is all that usually comes. No action response, which is the only response that matters, as we all know, actions speak louder than words. In 1 Corinthians 4:20, Paul says that the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power. Are we really a people that will give up all of our aspirations and dreams to be used by God? Are we willing to allow Him to use us?

The Best Example I Know

There is only one way that we can appropriately respond to the Gospel; the Good News that Jesus Christ died for the sin that separated me from God for so long, just so I can have a relationship with Him. His life had a purpose; His death had a purpose. He gave His entire life to God. Dreams, aspirations, agendas, they were thrown out the window, because God has a bigger and better plan than any human being could ever think of. While Jesus saved us from eternal separation, He also gave us an example. Come on, this is Jesus Christ that I am talking about! He could have called forth angels to save Him at any moment from the Cross. He could have done anything with His life that He wanted to. He was God, ya know.

But He didn't. Not only did He live life as there was something better ahead, but He was also completely obedient when God sent Him to lay down it down selflessly. How are we following that example?

The only way to respond to someone laying their life down for us is by doing the same. Anything less is not worthy. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says that we were bought at a price, therefore we should honor God with our bodies. We were not bought easily, it took a life to save a life. How can I respond to that type of love whenever I am selfish with my time, energy, and money? Doing things that I want to do in order to live a "satisfying," comfortable life is easy. Using my life for a purpose far greater than myself is hard. Giving your life demonstrates love.

Misconception

So maybe people think that I am a little too extreme, or even harsh on this topic. I honestly think that this post is only a feather compared to the brick that God wants us to understand and only a small portion of the His burden. It's so much more than hearing a sermon or reading a book and merely being convicted without doing anything about this. We are selfish people. We are sinful people. And the only cure for sinful people is a loving, gracious God. Many of us think that God wants us to prosper in the things of this world. We use verses like Jeremiah 29:11 to back up the idea that God wants us to ultimately indulge in ourselves; that His humongous plans will fit inside of our own plans. Who is the god in that situation? The true Father, or us?

There is nothing in scripture that says that God plans for you to be rich. There is nothing that says that God needs you to go to college. There is no verse saying how pretty or hot your wife needs to be, or which guy from the Bachelorette your husband needs to look like. Matter of fact, God's Word says that it's hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. It also says that the people closest to Jesus were ordinary, not so educated men. Paul even felt that in order to serve the Lord better he needed to stay single and live without a wife. Having the good life in this world was never promised.

Is money, a spouse, or education bad? No. However, there is nothing in scripture that commends the practice of fitting God into our own plans. If there is, find it. He bought us at a price, and our life belongs to Him.

More Than Conviction

This is not a call to quit your job. This isn't a call to make any move without wisdom. But I do believe that this is a wake up call to obedience. 

Hebrews 13:5 tells us to Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” It doesn't necessarily tell us to keep our lives free from money. Only the love of it. In 1 Timothy 6:10 it also gives us a warning. Timothy says For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Some wandered away from the faith? Scary.

These items aren't bad but, when we attain more and more of things of this world, we have to continuously check our hearts to make sure that we are loving giver of the gifts far above the gifts themselves. 

Also, when we pray for things, they can become the focus of why we go to God. Other than relying on Him for a bonus or a good wife that loves to cook, we could care less about Him. In other words, we even pray for the American Dream. We pray for our prosperity and success and stability, but we could care less about a relationship with God. "But Lord, didn't I give thanks to you when I received that award? Didn't I pray before each meal? Didn't I go to church every Sunday?" And just as Jesus said in Matthew 7:23, He will tell us plain: I never knew you.

I just got into a relationship a few months back, and God has shown me so much about Himself, as weird as that may seem. One of the things that I have learned is that I will never have time for a relationship if I am constantly worried about my selfish desires. It would never work out. I'd be too busy with doing the things that I want to do instead of devoting my attention to her. It is the exact same thing with God. While we are out chasing pavements on earth, He is waiting for the day where we will run to Him, and Him alone for comfort, for care, for protection, for love, and for life. Am I living in a way that glorifies God, or am I going to glorify myself for the rest of my life?

Not About Me

I have said it before and I hope I say it until I am not able to say anything else: Jesus + Nothing = Everything.  There will never be anything that we can add to that equation to make it sweeter. Matter of fact, I feel as if attempting to add things to it, takes more away than it adds.

Some of the most genuine followers of Jesus Christ are the believers who do not have a dime to their name. They do not know where their next meal will come from, but they hold on to God's promises, such as the call to not worry in Matthew 6:25-34. There are people in this world who lean on God and praise Him regardless. Their faith is so rich, and they do not need God to deliver them out of their current situation to prove that He is good. Here in America, we have friends and family that turn away from God when something comparably minuscule happens in their life. They blame God for not being there and ignoring their wants. There's a word for that: spoiled brat.

These people that praise God without much believe that He will provide, He can provide, and even if He doesn't provide, He is still worthy of worship. I always wonder what my response would be if I was put in a position like that. I think that there is a reason why the poor praise and the spoiled brats reject Him when seemingly bad things happen.

What it boils down to is this: Life is not a story about me. Never has, and never will be. I do not run this show. I am not the star of this movie. In 100 years nobody will remember me or my bucket list. Having a shotgun or a double decker type of house will not matter. The car that I am focused on now, then will be horribly outdated and even my kids may also be gone. However, there is one common denominator: God. He never leaves the scene.

He will remain the same. What Jesus has done for us will never change. His love for us will not grow weary and His grace will not run out. Until we understand this and live life in a way that shows it's not about us, our dreams, focus, and time will be devoted to chasing things that we will never get enough of.

Matthew 16:26: What good is it for one to gain the whole world, yet lose their soul? 

Jesus knew how foolish gaining things of the world truly is. He knows our selfish hearts and understands the fact that there's a lot we can currently see that appeals to our eyes. He also knows that there is more that we haven't seen that is so much more.

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I feel that there is a distinct call on my life to give it away, to not live it out as if it's a story about myself. I'm not sure what that looks like at all. I don't know if that's going to be me working for a church or being the church for people who don't live great lifestyles. I don't know if that's moving to a low-income area to be a light or doing the same in the suburbs. I'm not sure if that means packing up and going to a different country or staying right here in America. God will show me what it means when the time is right.

Until then, the little I do know is that as a Christian, I have to fight my flesh in order to love Him more and more daily because as time goes by, the world ships out more and more things that we can replace God with. And I am selfish as well. There will always be newer cars and gadgets and everything else you can think of that I'd want, just because they are there. There are so many opportunities for me to be like everyone else and indulge in myself. There are so many things that can take my eyes off of God.

We were made to live for so much more than this fading dream. We were made to experience all that God has for us, and part of that deal is the fact that there are banks beyond this earth. I hope that God uses this to get you thinking about the desires of your heart just as He has done with me. Do we want more of God, or more of Us?

Refuse to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27b

Adoption

What do you think of when you hear the words "orphans & widows"?
I think bout morality. I think about good deeds. I think about non-profits.

Above all else, I think about Jesus.

This topic has grown on me over the past two months. Serving in a homeless ministry for a year and volunteering at events that serve those without refuge, ministry and service to those without much has become one of my heartbeats. I can see myself living in an inner-city, low income community after college, to  love on those people and to be a light in a dark place.

God has revealed His heart behind serving these people, in His Word.

James, the brother of Jesus, says "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." (James 1:27)

In Isaiah, it says,"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans.  Fight for the rights of widows." (Isaiah 1:17) In the ESV version, the word "orphans" is replaced with "the fatherless."

Paul says in Galatians, "They (Peter, John, & James)  encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do." (Galatians 2:9b-10)

And there are many more from where that came from. Look it up yourself! The most powerful verse to me is from Matthew 25:43-45 (read the whole chapter for yourself to get the fullness of the context). Words from Jesus himself: 

 I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.’

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

We read that and ask ourselves, is Jesus really saying that if we deny the "least of these" that we are denying Him? YES.

Just as Peter did verbally?

YES.

But why? Why does Jesus command this of us? What in His life did He do for the widows & the orphans & the least of these?

We can add  the miracles and the healings and the visits and the encounters that Jesus had with people like these. However, I have realized that there is much more to it than that. There's a bigger reason behind why it is so important.

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Why should we care for the least of these?

1. Loving your neighbor as you love yourself is the 2nd Greatest commandment, behind loving God with all of your heart. (Matthew 22:34-40)

Jesus was asked what the greatest commandments were. He replied with two. The first was to love God with everything you have. Then the second was to love your neighbor, just as you love yourself. These people are in our communities, probably not cared for. I know that if I lost my spouse, or mother & father, or even everything I had, I would desire for someone to show me some love. Not just a check or money. The type of love that cannot be bought through tithe percentages and weekly meals. We need God's love, and since we are Christ's ambassadors with the gospel message of His great love for us, I would need someone to share that message with me, along with practical care such as food and clothing. Most Christians would hardly ever step foot into situations such as these, but if any of this happened to you, how would you want to be taken care of? Let this thought reflect how we care for others.

2. If Jesus says do it, do it.

Obedience is a true mark of a disciple. Plainly, & simply put. Not only that but, true obedience roots from love. Think about your parents & the times where we obey them only so we don't get the belt! However, when you learn to enjoy obeying them, it roots deeper than routine. It roots deeper than being a robot without a conscience. When we grow, we learn to love our parents, and our actions root from our love for them. Same thing with God, our Heavenly Father. We obey His commands because of our love for Him. Not because of the probability of Him zapping us to hell for not doing what He says. That's religion, and religion without love is nothing but a car without an engine. Or as James calls it, impure and defiled(James 1:27). So if the needy are mentioned in the bible more than 100 times, and a lot of those times it tells us to help them and care for them, it must be important to our Lord. Do it.

3. We were once widows and orphans.

YES. I said it. Whether your live in the suburbs or the hood, you yourself either are a widow & orphan or once were. And JESUS saved those who once were.

We are/once were widows because we are called to be the bride of Christ. This simply means that Jesus wants a relationship with all of us. Jesus is the groom. Don't freak out by the term, "bride." Bride is another term for the Church. The Church is not a building. It is made up of believers. Even though I'm typing this post from a living room, I am still the Church. Even though you are reading this in your pajamas, you are still the Church. We are the church, the bride of Christ. I'd love to go even more in depth, but this post is getting long.

If you didn't know, the term "widow" is the definition of a wife who lost her husband. Lost in 99.9% of these cases means death, but we can just call it what it is, lost. So, if we are the bride of Christ while most of the world doesn't even have a relationship with Jesus, they do not know of their eternal groom. He is lost to them, but in the big picture, those who do not know Him are truly the lost ones. Think about it!

Lastly, we are orphans. If you are familiar with my blogs, then you would've read my "Hide & Seek" post I put up this past May. I wrote about how everyone is truly looking for the Father. Check it out!

I talked about how those who are lost are looking for eternal love that can only come from one being, God, the heavenly Father & He wants to be our Father. He is our creator. He is the author of salvation. He spoke earth into existence. He is everything that we are looking for and more, beyond our wildest dreams. He is the piece that our hearts are missing. Everything we need, is God. As you know, most of the world doesn't believe this. There's times where I don't believe it. I don't believe that He can be my everything so I attempt to fill that desire with lust and greed. Then it all comes full circle: it's never enough. 

God is enough. God is the Father that the lost don't know about. The Father that this world does not know about. And He wants to adopt us. Read this once again:

"Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans.  Fight for the rights of widows." (Isaiah 1:17) 

In the ESV version, the word "orphans" is replaced with "the fatherless."

Orphan in the bible is a synonym for "the fatherless." They are one in the same. If the world doesn't know of God. Consider the world as a bunch of orphans. Consider this world a huge orphanage. It's crazy, because God, the Father is available to us. He is alive and He cares for us. There are many that do not understand this message about God. You cannot deny the fact that a child without parents is an orphan, just as a man without God is lost. 

So what does this have to do with Jesus? As a follower of Jesus Christ I'd have to say that it has everything to do with Him. He saved His bride. I and everyone that make up His beloved Church is not longer a widow. And through Jesus Christ, we gain a relationship with God. But without Jesus, we would never be able to have a relationship with our Father. I am no longer an orphan. I am free. Jesus is the true Savior.

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Jesus cares for us all. His love for us will never be matched by a mere person, but that doesn't excuse us from doing our best to reflect that love to the world. The bible says that people such as the poor, the powerless, the orphans, & the widows are the least of these. Jesus says that if we deny them, we deny Him! That's something that I'd rather not have on my resume: denied Jesus when He asked for food. Denied Jesus when He needed clothing. Denied Jesus when He asked for protection. 

Not the best thing to have on a track record.

What can we do on our part? Intentionally care for the needy. Intentionally visit those places. Intentionally love on the people who live at the bottom of the social ladder. Look at the world and see that these are the people that it forgets about. The least of this world. We, believers, are here to remind them of their greatest treasure, one that all the money in the world cannot purchase; our treasure in Heaven.

As for myself, ministry to this community is important. More than that, love to this community is important. Without love, feeding the homeless is nothing. Something else that I know I want to do is adopt. Of course this will be when I have all of my ducks in a row and get hitched (if I'm lucky enough that is). I feel that since God adopted me as His son, I can reflect that in adoption here on earth. There are too many children in orphanages & foster care for us to be doing nothing. 

Taking in an orphan & making them a part of your family, loving them with your life and caring for them; the same thing that God did for us.