How well has the American Dream worked out for you?
Richard Stearns suggests that the great American Dream ultimately fails because it was never intended to be the end goal for our life. Although we are profoundly blessed to live in a country dubbed “the Land of Opportunity” we were created for something vastly more than merely working hard, accumulating stuff, saving for retirement, and then hoping we have enough health leftover to enjoy our savings and our stuff.
According to Stearns (and the epic message of Scripture), we were created to partner with God’s plan to redeem our broken world. We were uniquely called, gifted, and blessed to become a blessing to the world. Along the way we will experience highs, lows, blessings, droughts, exhilaration, and brokenness…and every step of the journey will ultimately prove to be absolutely worth it.
Let’s enjoy our lives—indeed, followers of Jesus should drink deeply of the joy and wonder of this life—but let’s make sure we’re moving ever closer to God’s Dream versus simply an American one.
The Hole in our Gospel Reading Program Chapter Eighteen: Putting the American Dream to Death