I enjoy writing in different settings, particularly when
blogging. I’m not sure why. Maybe I love watching people. I might even enjoy
eavesdropping on conversations around me.
Please stop judging me.
For this post, I chose the commons of a local Christian library.
While searching for an interesting story to frame the points, God hit me with a
holy face slap (which is much less painful and more productive than the slaps
I’ve received from a few unnamed women).
Sitting across the commons was a guy wearing a red hat with
the words “Make America great again.”
Mind you, I’m in a Christian library, not
a Presidential debate. The American dream penetrates deep into the heart of
Christian culture.
What is the American dream? I defer you to Jerry Reinsdorf,
owner of the Chicago Bulls. While celebrating Michael Jordan’s retirement, he
said this:
“The American Dream is to reach a point in your life where
you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do and can do everything that
you do want to do.”
Make no mistake. There are few, if any, similarities
between the call of Jesus and the American dream.
Could it be that our idea of following Jesus is actually a
perverted American dream with some gospel sprinkled on top? Could it be that
American pursuits drive us away from Jesus? Could it be that our temporary
dreams prepare us for an eternal nightmare?
Here are seven signs you love the American dream more than
Jesus.
1.) If Jesus returned today, you would be
disappointed.
Let’s assume a signal goes out 30 minutes before Jesus’
return, giving you time to process the past, present and future (or lack,
thereof). Would you be excited about His coming? Would you feel robbed? Would
you be apathetic?
I’m being honest. While I would be beyond ecstatic if Jesus
returned, I’m not exactly longing for his return. Paul says creation longs for
restoration. That’s foreign to me.
My life is great. I’m doing work I love. I have an amazing
family. I’m healthy. There’s really no need to return right now, Jesus. If you
have some other items to knock out in heaven, go ahead with those. I’m good
here for now.
Maybe you share my thoughts. But you shouldn’t.
Creation longs for restoration because it finds no comfort
or satisfaction on earth. For every Frank, who enjoys a comfortable life on
earth, dozens are so overcome with grief or pain, they can’t imagine another
second on this planet.
Several months ago, I stared this reality in the face.
While serving at a homeless food kitchen, I noticed a man overcome with
anger and sadness. He was pacing back and forth, unable to eat. After watching
this for several minutes, I finally asked him to go with me in another room and
talk.
As a pastor, you hear incredibly sad stories. This man’s
story might “take the cake.” The night before, while staying in a home he doesn’t own,
sleeping in a different room than his wife because they were arguing, someone
raped her. So, here’s a homeless man, unable to provide for his family and
processing another man sexually assaulting his wife.
His pain was so strong, I felt it. Now, let’s assume Jesus
approached this man and said, “Hey bro, I’m thinking about redeeming you and
the rest of humanity. In 30 minutes, your pain will disappear, and your wife’s
attacker will receive justice. What do you think?” You think he would respond
with, “Uhh … or you can come tomorrow. Life’s pretty good, Jesus.”?
Not hardly.
I left the food pantry that night with a sobering thought …
maybe this man, homeless, hungry and overcome with pain, is closer to Jesus
than I am. Unlike me, he understands what it means to long for restoration.
Brokenness isn’t something “out there.” It’s his reality. Heaven would be an
upgrade for him.
Most American Christians don’t see their desperate need for
God because they’re blinded by the American Dream.
If you don’t feel uneasy here, it’s probably because you’ve
created a pseudo-heaven on earth. Your hope rests in a present facade rather
than a future reality. And if you take up residence on earth, you give up
residence in heaven.
2.) You trust things more than people.
I saw a bumper sticker recently that said, “The one who
dies with the most toys wins.”
“Congratulations, Billy, you have the most toys. C’mon down
and claim your prize. Billy … Billy … Hey, Frank. Where is Billy? Oh, he’s
dead. How will he receive his prize? … Who cares, let’s divvy up his toys.”
What an absurd idea that we would accumulate trinkets only
to leave them for someone else?
But this is the American Dream. As your salary increases,
so does your toy box. Incidentally (or maybe not), the larger your toy box, the
less you rely on others and especially God.
The rich don’t need other people. But, a culture driven by
wealth and prosperity must understand a very important point …
No one is independent.
Maybe you don’t need other people. Maybe you see this as a
noble pursuit. People, after all, can’t be trusted (at least, this is the what
the American Dreams says). But your independence from people only reveals your
dependence on stuff.
“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for
him …” These words introduce Jesus’ first sermon in Matthew 5. They also reveal
who is in the best position to receive the promises of God. Why does Jesus
spend time with prostitutes, tax collectors and lepers? They’re poor in spirit.
Their toy box is small. And, consequently, they’re most eager to receive a
message of hope.
No facades with the poor. No trinkets to cover up enormous
voids. No costumes to mask secret sins and empty hearts. Phillip Yancey says it
this way, “I do not believe the poor to be more virtuous than anyone else, but
they are less likely to pretend to be virtuous.”
The poor and helpless must depend on others. They have no
stuff. And, in this way, they’re more likely to receive Jesus.
3.) You believe privacy is an acceptable way of
life.
The American Dream preaches independence.
While independence isn’t inherently bad, its close friend
isolation is. Independence and isolation are travel buddies. You won’t see one
without the other. I’ve watched Christians becoming increasingly disconnected
from one another and culture.
I often hear, “I just don’t like entertaining guests in my
home or sharing details about my life. I’m a private person.”
But, to be real, you handed in that card when you became a
Christian. There’s no such thing as a private follower of Jesus. You were
created by a relational God, so your joy is tied to other people and others’
joy is tied to you.
I’m an introvert. My wife thinks this is ludicrous, but I
enjoy lunch by myself. I also used to be a “private” person, chalking it up to
introversion. But as I saw lives changed by opening my home to others, I
realized an isolated life is the product of the American Dream, not a
personality type.
When people say they’re “private,” it usually means one of
two things.
Number one … you don’t want to be inconvenienced. Cooking
dinner for strangers is weird. Having people stay in your home cramps your
style. It’s easier to do neither and tell others you’re private.
Number two … you’re hiding something. I know this from
experience. I was most isolated when I struggled with addiction or my marriage
was struggling. I was afraid someone might uncover my secret sin and struggling
marriage, so I played the “private” card.
Whether it’s inconvenience or secret sin, the real issue
with isolated Christianity is it’s not sustainable. When Christians become
isolated and private with their lives, the church begins to die. A relational
faith won’t thrive in a disconnected culture.
4.) You can’t distinguish between necessities
and luxuries.
Multiple times every day I say, “Man, I need …” and
complete the sentence with stuff like
“… a new phone.”
“… that fresh flannel shirt.”
“… a raise.”
Maybe you do this too. If so, here’s an exercise. Count how
many times you say “I need …” in a 24-hour period. While this seems like
water under the bridge, it’s really more like rushing water threatening the
integrity of the bridge.
For the record, “needs” are food, water, shelter and
clothing. Generally speaking, everything else is extra.
While it’s a blessing to have your needs met, if you can’t
differentiate between wants and needs, many teachings of Jesus will be
difficult to comprehend.
For example:
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness.” (Matt. 5:6)
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we
eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?” (Matthew 6:31)
“Give us today the food we need.” (Matthew 6:11)
These statements might as well be written in some alien
language. I’ve never experienced hunger or thirst, which puts me at a
disadvantage when it comes to understanding righteousness.
“Give us today the food we need” is not only foreign, it’s
irresponsible. Seriously. How would you respond if someone told you they only
had only enough food, clothing and resources for today? No extras. No stocked
pantry. Only enough for today.
The American Dream would call this irresponsible. Sadly, I
probably would too.
5.) The radical life of Jesus sounds more like
a threat than good news.
If you use “radical” and “Jesus freak” to describe certain
Christians, you’re probably too influenced by the American Dream. Jesus asks
the same thing from every follower. He asks you to die.
If you haul the American Dream into the presence of God,
you can count on one thing … he will ask you to leave it at the door. Recall
the rich young ruler. By all appearances, he was a sincere man. But he wanted
to journey with Jesus and bring his stuff. So, when Jesus asks him to leave his
stuff at the door, the young man chooses instead to walk away from Jesus.
For Christians influenced by the American Dream, every
sermon is a threat to their lifestyle. They pick and choose Scripture. And when
confronted with stories like the rich young ruler, they’re quick to justify.
“This story is an example of exaggeration.”
You can’t serve both God and the American Dream. If you
want God, you must leave your selfish pursuits and ambitions at the door, all
of it.
6.) Your fears are exaggerated and
unrealistic.
I don’t get into conspiracy theories. But, if you live long
enough, a conversation about some far-fetched, wildly unrealistic scenario
eventually finds you.
A culture drowning in riches is also drowning in unrealistic
and exaggerated fears. We have no real needs, access to unlimited information
and an unhealthy amount of free time. The result is fabricated fears.
You know who doesn’t entertain conspiracy theories? People
with real needs. People whose eyes are fixed on the cross.
7.) You don’t know how to receive from others.
“Only the poor, the hungry, those who need
someone to come on their behalf, will have that someone. … Without poverty of
spirit there can be no abundance of God.” Oscar Romero
Jesus says it’s more blessed to give than receive. While
this is true (I’m not one to question Jesus), I also know it’s more difficult
to receive. When given a compliment, especially from a stranger, what’s your
first response?
“Thank you? I appreciate it?”
Of course not. The natural inclination is to divert
it.
You can tell a lot about yourself by how you respond to
compliments. If someone approaches you and says, “That was a powerful sermon,”
“You look pretty today,” or “You’re a talented writer, artist, mother, etc.”
how do you respond?
I meet few Christians who respond with “Thank you.” But,
when I do, it tells me something about that person. They are humble. They know
how to receive gifts. They aren’t power hungry or control freaks.
Receiving a gift (without repaying or refusing it) requires
humility. You’re indebted to the giver. You allow another person to have power
and control. And this is why most Americans are awful receivers. The American
Dream is built on independence and self-sufficiency. Freedom means you’re indebted
to no one.
We’d much rather be givers. We love helping the poor,
especially at Christmas, while our greatest fear is being poor at Christmas. We
love buying gifts for family, but opening gifts from others is more awkward
than a middle school relationship.
We’re better givers than receivers because we’re prideful
and arrogant, not generous.
But here’s the real issue. Until we approach God with a
posture of humility and total dependence, we won’t receive his gifts.
Rich, self-sufficient people can’t fathom the gift of
grace. They might accept the gift. But they turn around and work to repay it,
nullifying the gift.
God’s promises can only be received. They can’t be earned.
We say grace is a gift, but it’s incomplete without works. God says grace is
the work. We say salvation is a gift, but you must follow certain steps and
maintain a level of morality. God says the only step to salvation is
approaching Him with empty hands.
Until we see ourselves as poor, needy and completely
dependent on God, we won’t receive His gifts.
__________________
The American Dream isn’t God’s dream. The life Jesus
modeled stands in stark contrast to the values of America, in particular, and
the world, in general. We are poor and helpless. To see Jesus, we must accept
this. Americans hold no special claim over God.
The door to Jesus is open to anyone … just leave your stuff
outside.
I love you all. To God be the glory forever.
Amen!
Frank Powell serves in the Campbell Street Church of Christ
in Jackson, Tenn., ministering to college-age and young adults. More from Frank Powell or visit Frank
at http://frankpowell.me
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