What is the American Dream?
- White picket fences.
- A house. That white picket fence would look awfully silly without one, don’t you think?
- A 2-car…no, make that 3-car garage. Better yet, a 4-car garage with 2 cars, a boat, and a workshop.
- 2.5 kids. And a dog. Maybe even a cat, and a goldfish to round it all out nicely.
- A steady job. Preferably with a 6-figure income. And health benefits, 401K, and vacation package.
The list goes on and on. The perfect body, the perfect clothes. The best schools, the uber-involved schedules for parents AND kids. Attending church on Sunday, and volunteering in civic, social, or religious clubs. Living the dream.
Because, at its core, that’s what it is. A dream. A facade. A sham.
Life is most definitely NOT like that. At least, not all of it. We may be able to grasp part of the dream, but it’s like catching clouds as we watch the rest slip through our fingers.
Today we began a new sermon series focusing on Living the Dream. And tonight in our life group we talked about what the American Dream embodies versus what God’s dream is for us. There was plenty of food for thought as we reflected on our priorities and how easily we get caught up into chasing things that are not really that important. How we look at what we DON’T have…what we THINK we want…and forget all that God has given us. Can we look past our circumstances and be happy with what God has given us?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9-XGeUfYC4&feature=related[/youtube]