Daily Devotional For Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Dreams – we all have them. What are your dreams? We live in a country that espouses the
“American Dream.” Well what is that? Well, we have to go back in history. In 1931, James Truslow Adams is credited as giving us this phrase. But here is how he defined it in 1931:
“The American dream is that each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are” (Source: James Truslow Adams, The Epic of America, p. 414). Yes, we should have high aspirations and in this country we have the freedom to pursue them. Scripture encourages us to do this. On the surface this seems benign and harmless, doesn’t it? But hidden in this definition is something very deadly. It can be found all the way back in Genesis 3. And what is that? – that our greatest asset is not God, but our own abilities. The American dream treasures what people accomplish when they really push themselves, believe in themselves and trust their own abilities as they stretch them to the max.
But the Bible says something totally different and opposite of this. Jesus said this in John 15:5, “I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (NASB). Jesus clearly states that He is our greatest asset, not our abilities. One problem in achieving the American dream is that when we do it through our own desires, our own power, our own abilities, who do we recognize and give the credit and glory to? – Ourselves.
The American dream is less about achievement and more about self-glorification. Look at James Truslow Adams' end result of achieving the American dream – “be recognized by others for what they are.” In other words, the American dream is to make everything about ourselves. It is to make ourselves the center of the universe, not the Lord. The goal of Scripture, the goal of discipleship, the goal of life is to make us much more like the Lord Jesus Christ.
And if you read the Bible carefully, God often puts people in situations where their abilities are useless and they have to turn to Him. Yes, God used Moses in Egypt. But it was God and God’s power that caused all the plagues, parted the Red Sea, gave them manna, freedom and the Promised Land. It wasn’t Moses. It was God. God used David to kill Goliath. It wasn’t David who killed Goliath, but God. Look at 1 Samuel 17:45-46, “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. (46) This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands . . .” (NASB). God used Elijah to bring fire down a soaked altar. All of these were the vehicles, not the source.
In each and every story in the Bible, whether it is Joshua and the Hebrews marching around Jericho for 7 days and then on the 7th day, 7 times, it was God who brought the walls down. It is God who gets the credit and glory for it. And when the walls of Jericho came down and they took the city, the people gave all the credit to God.
Now let me tell you what bothers me today in the modern church. For many churches, they have all the resources such as screens, computers, lattes, comfortable seats, greeters, special parking for guests, lasers, lights, smoke, a very talented praise team and band, seminary trained professional preacher, but do they have the Holy Spirit in the service? Are our services today our attempt to do what only God Himself can do? Are we that arrogant to think that once we attain our fullest potential and abilities that we will “be recognized by others for who we are”
Isn’t the goal of worship and our lives to focus on God and help people recognize God for who He is and how they need Him? Why does the modern church leave God out of what He created? Why do people who call themselves Christians leave God out of their decisions and choices? Why are we teaching and pushing our kids to go to college, to get a great degree so that they can get a job that pays good money rather than seeking God’s kingdom and God’s will as their ultimate dream and goal? I dream of a church that seeks God first and His righteousness before it seeks anything else. What about you?
Assignment: Reflect for a moment – how has the American dream impacted your life? How has the American dream impacted your children' s lives if you have children? How different would your life be if you first before anything sought the kingdom of God and His righteousness before anything else from this time forth? What would need to change? How do you think this would glorify God and draw people to Christ?
Scripture To Meditate On: 1 Timothy 4:8, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come” (NLT).
Prayer To Pray: “Lord, please help me to make pursuing you my dream in life, not the American dream. Please convict me to ask you for what You desire with decisions rather than assuming I am smart enough to know what is best for me. I do not want to exclude or leave You out. I want to seek Your kingdom and Your righteousness above anything else. I love You, Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly