When I was growing up (which I still am), a version of the “American Dream” was very enticing to me. The message of the dream was that “If I worked hard enough, I could become ANYTHING I wanted to be.” Learning of this, I came up with a ten-year plan, pulled myself up by my bootstraps and started working hard at everything I touched. I made a vow to pursue my dreams and nothing was going to get in my way of doing that. Keep in mind, I was being motivated by the end product of this path, which was becoming a man after my own making. By all means, I am a proponent of hard work, and we should always aim to teach people about its value. However, where we tend to err is when we emphasize hard work as the end-all be-all. When I started college as a pre-med major, my goal was to become a successful doctor. But I was impatient with the length of time that it required, so I decided to go the nursing route. After going to nursing school for a couple years, life happened, and I ended up taking a year off to figure things out. When I returned to school, I pursued a degree in exercise science before graduating with an education degree. After years of pursuing different career paths in the medical and the education fields, I became even more lost than when I started. By God’s grace, I came to the realization that my hard work was never going to be enough, and everything began to change. In a way, I slowly started to understand what Jesus meant by “all who labor and are heavy laden,” and his invitation to rest became all the more desirable to me (Matt. 11:28-30). Those of you that have lived longer and have had more experience than me can attest to a version of this truth. Ultimately, if you live long enough, you come to see the fallacy in this so-called “American dream” (or a version of it if you live in another part of the world). Some people realize it sooner; others quite later in life. So then, once you arrive at this realization, where do you go from there? THANK God, in his great mercy, for being a God who redeems. He orchestrates all things to work for his purposes and the good of his children (Rom. 8:28).
One of the primary ways that God guides us in life is through the revelation in his Word. As a God who speaks, we can take him at his word and rely on his faithfulness (Isa. 55:10-11). For me, as I grow to know God intimately (primarily through his word and prayer), I come to comprehend the reality of the truth that I am NOT the captain of my ship. This is clearly contrary to the American Dream I was pursuing. By God’s grace, I was able to see that my hard work alone is not a guarantee that my future will turn out the way I want it. There is so much more involved that we can’t even fathom. And the truth is, God is sovereign over our plans (Prov. 16:9). One of the freeing things about being a follower of Christ is that we no longer have to define purpose for ourselves. In Christ, we are given identity, worth and purpose. Consequently, we get to work from our identity and not for it. We are free to embrace who we are in Christ and align all our pursuits accordingly (Rom. 12:1-2). As people who live by faith in Jesus, we are reminded by God’s word that we have died to ourselves. Our new way of living is not for self-fulfillment, but for Christ exaltation (Gal. 2:20, Phil. 3:7-9, Acts 20:24). God is constantly inviting us to go deeper with him, to continually repent of our pride. Rather than going our own way and trusting our own plans, he is inviting us to trust him with EVERYTHING. As we do this, he leads us on an adventure that we could have never imagined. Yes, there is a place for human responsibility, but God’s sovereignty supersedes that in our lives (Isa. 46:10, Lam. 3:37-39, Prov. 16:33). And, my friends, his sovereignty and providence are so much more comforting and empowering than any plan we can make. God has, and continues to, transform my life, beginning with his initial work in saving me, not by anything I have done or am able to do, but solely by his grace through the faith he gave me (Eph. 2:8-10).
The life-changing perspective that I have now gained has helped me to stop pursuing futile “dreams.” It has caused me to trust the Lord with my plans, while being open to any adjustments he decides to make along the way. We are often used to lifestyles of quantification, where we build our confidence and livelihoods on our plans and accomplishments. In doing so, we constantly strive to be the best, to have the best, to have more, to be smarter, etc. And then we encounter Jesus and his teaching that a person’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions or anything else, and we scratch our heads (Lk. 12:15). There is certainly nothing wrong with having. Whether it is possessions, talents, abilities, you name it. But it becomes a cause for concern when we find that our source of strength and identity come from these gifts. Said another way, when they become our boast. I am grateful for the stories of people in the Bible who have gone down this path before. And the Bible says, these stories are recorded for our benefit and instruction (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Just as Moses reminded Israel (which applies to us too), may we not say that we did this or that for ourselves and by ourselves. Instead, let’s be mindful and give credit where credit is due. That it is from the hand of the Lord (Deut. 8:17-18), the only One who deserves all the praise and glory.
So, what about you? Can you relate to my story in any way? What is your boast? What gives you the confidence to face life with joy? Is it something that can be easily forfeited like your wealth, health, power, abilities, morality, intelligence, work ethic, accomplishments, plans, or even people? Or is it something eternal that will last forever? The latter is what Jesus is inviting us to partake in when we live our lives in communion with him. And as we drink from his life-giving well, may we pause often to reflect, assess and identify where we are putting our confidence. There is no need to shame yourself if you find that your confidence has been misplaced. The secret is that we have all done so, and the beauty of the gospel is that we can change our minds and put our confidence in Christ. As Martin Luther once said, “The entire life of a believer is a life of repentance.” For me, this caused me to stop pursuing the “American Dream” and to pursue the Author of the universe. This is the One whose plans for me are far better than I can ever make for myself. Ultimately, his plan will result in his glory and my good. So, my friends, would you come drink from The Well with me? And in doing so, we just might find rest from all our dream-chasing, and receive the true rest our souls have been longing for.
“This is what the Lord says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” – Philippians 3:7-8
“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” – James 4:13-16
Drink from The Well 
Leave a comment