“I tell you what a tragedy is. I'll read to you from Reader's Digest (Feb. 2000, p. 98) what a tragedy is: "Bob and Penny... took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells." The American Dream: come to the end of your life - your one and only life - and let the last great work before you give an account to your Creator, be "I collected shells. See my shells." THAT is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. And I get forty minutes to plead with you: don't buy it.” --John Piper
Jared Wilson had a post recently titled Crucifying the American Dream. I highly recommend you read it also.
I think we need to pray about the effect it has on our lives and the effect it has on our witness for God. The luxuries of this life are worth nothing compared to the treasures in heaven. "What good is if for a man to gain the whole world, but loose his soul?"
That David Platt book I just bought is entitled: "Radical - Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream". Although I am only on page 60, the book is certainly about pursuing God and His kingdom instead of pursuing earthly treasure that will burn up in the end.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to reading that book. I am about to place another book order and that one is on the list.
ReplyDeleteThis, in my very humble opinion, is one of the biggest problems facing Christians. It is ingrained in us from childhood to get more, be better, be richer, save more money, have bigger and nicer things.
ReplyDeleteI have actually heard in a bible class in our own church that you should have a nicely manicured front lawn if you are a Christian. This was being taught! You can't love Jesus and look trashy. I'm all about being good stewards of the things God has given us - but really??
Think of all the money and time we sacrifice to our houses and the things we put in them. We fill our homes with huge TVs, expensive furniture, iPods, iPhones, Wii, and the list goes on and on and on. Even if you acquire these things the "good christian way" - meaning saving up the cash for them- is it really ok for us to be using the money God has allowed us to have on them while there are people all over the world starving and homeless and hopeless? Probably not.
The American Dream.
What a joke.
Amen Sarah Grace. Except for the Wii. Why did you have to add in the one thing that I have been saving up for. You cut me deep! You cut me real deep just then!
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