God is so good and so faithful. The past few months have been stretching for me. God has been speaking to my heart in subtle and not so subtle ways, for which I am so grateful. I have been challenged in part by a couple of books I've read and with some of our Sunday School lessons at church. One book, Crazy Love by Francis Chan, has completely changed the way I see life and the purpose of it. My life as a follower of Christ exists to follow His lead and serve others, love others, and die to my self interests, not to pursue the American Dream. This is the responsibility of the church as well, and the church in America struggles with this as we can be so inwardly focused and so conditioned to follow the American Dream. The other book I read was called The Irrestistable Revolution by Shane Claiborne. This book caused me to wrestle with some deeply personal stuff related to my life as a middle class mother in a middle class church. This book was all about our role as followers of Christ in helping the poor. While I disagree with some of Shane's ideas about how this plays out, such as certain social activist ideas that he has and his ideas for a socialist community, his ideas that the suburbs are evil, his anti-war views, and also his idea that as believers it is our primary responsibility to eradicate poverty (I believe that as believers it is our primary responsibilty to share the love of God with everyone we come into contact with, both rich and poor, and of course that includes helping people in need), he definitely challenged me to look for ways to help the poor and underpriviledged and oppressed in my community and the world.
After studying the book of Joel and the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) in Sunday School, right after reading these books, it only compounded this drive that God has placed in me to find ways to help poor and oppressed people. God has a heart for poor and oppressed people, and it is our responsibilty as "wealthy" people to do what we can to help. And not just because we feel like we have to, but because God calls us to live a selfless life and to serve and love others, and in so doing, not just help them with their needs, but also to share His selfless love with them. I am finding myself wanting my life to count for something other than chasing the American Dream. That is not what God has called me to. I am to spend my life on Him, and use my life to serve Him and do something that honors Him and makes a differnce for Him in the lives of people. I believe He is passionate about people, and that is what I want to be passionate about as well. I don't want to waste my life on myself. As my kids get older and get into school, and I find myself with a bit more time during the day, I want to do things that have meaning, not just get a job to make more money for us to spend on stuff that has no true meaning. How can I use my life to help those in need who need to know His love in tangible ways? How can I share His love with others?
Our country and culture focuses so much on achieving the American Dream. We are told by politicians (on both sides of the fence), school teachers, college professors and others, that we deserve the American Dream, and that is what very American needs and deserves and should be striving for. Sure, that sounds great, but as a Christian, I am first a Child of God before I am an American, and my life is not my own anymore...I've been bought with a price, and I want my life to count for more than pursuing my self interests. I have not been called to go after the American Dream. I've been called to follow the Holy Spirit's lead wherever He takes me, even if it is counter-cultural and even makes no common sense to those I know.
I want to spend my life on my Savior and my God.
In the words of the band Switchfoot:
This ain't my American Dream
I want to live and die for bigger things
I'm tired of fighting for just me
This ain't my American Dream
In the words of a repsected politician: Serve a cause greater than yourself.