Jeremiah 29:1-7
This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:1-7 (NIV)
The American Dream.
How often have we heard someone use that phrase? Our parents. Our friends. Countless politicians, economists and talking heads.
The phrase has come to symbolize a way of life where everyone has a great job, a beautiful home, a wonderful family, and, in general, peace and prosperity. It also represents a time in our lives when we can settle down and enjoy the fruits of our labor and resulting success. And live long, healthy and happy lives.
Take a moment and enjoy that thought.
Now let’s get back to reality.
This may represent how things go for a few of us, but for the majority of us, it is simply a dream. And a dream that may never come to fruition. We may realize parts of it, but rarely the whole enchilada.
Life has a way of becoming messy and complicated. And most of us cannot escape the downs that seem to always accompany the ups. There are health issues. There are job issues. There are family issues. And the unavoidable relationship issues that seem to constantly complicate things. (And, of course, there are those things around us in our world today that we have no control over but directly impact us.) And what makes the American Dream seem even more unachievable is when we have a number of messy and complicated things going on in our lives at the same time. Or if we are new to this country and culture.
So, what can we do?
We can easily acknowledge that there is no hope and give up. We can let everything around us overwhelm us and consume us.
Or. We can look at this in a completely different way.
What is missing from our concept of the American Dream? Everything seems to be covered there. What is missing is that the American Dream fails to include God. And we need God. Having God in our lives allows all of us to experience the American Dream. Working through the Holy Spirit, He helps us navigate through whatever obstacles and complications there may be in life. Job, health, family, relationship. There are always brothers and sisters in Christ there to walk with us, support us and love us. God brings us the family that we need and want. We can find the peace and prosperity that we seek. And He provides us a beautiful church home in which we can worship, serve and grow.
Does this solve all of our problems in life? Not necessarily. But it does reinforce the fact that we are not in anything alone. Our brothers and sisters in Christ are with us. God is with us.
Now that’s the American Dream I am looking for.
Thanks be to God!
Questions for Reflection:
- What is your vision of the American Dream?
- How close are you to achieving it?
- Is God a part of your American Dream?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, please help us to look to you for the guidance, inspiration, love and hope that we seek. Help us as well to truly appreciate your gifts of love, grace and your Son, Jesus. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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