If the American Dream involves climbing the ladder of success and running the rat race, then the Kingdom of God is a climb down the ladder and a race to the bottom of the barrel.
Let Jesus explain this a bit more.
"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
"...Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things (what you eat, drink, or wear) will be given to you as well." (parentheses mine)
Jesus is beginning to close out his infamous "Sermon on the Mount". He has flipped everything upside down as he addresses how to change a broken world and make it right. The blessed ones are the poor, the humble, the merciful, the persecuted. He addresses replacing anger with forgiveness, replacing lust and divorce with respect and honor, replacing lies with truth, replacing retaliation with love. He urges us to give to the needy, to pray for his kingdom to come, to fast in secret. Not to store up wealth and possessions.
And by this time, the follower should be quite uncomfortable. (If you're really listening to what he is implying.)
You begin to get the sense that Jesus is turning everything on it's head. Flipping everything upside down. To put it quite frankly, you begin to think that Jesus wants to ruin your life.
He does.
His way is not the way of the American Dream.
His way is not the way of the world.
His way is not what you would plan.
His way is wayward...in our eyes.
Jesus picks up on this enough to know that something needs to be said about the direction you are headed when you choose to follow him. Yes, it seems backwards. Yes, it is counter intuitive. But if you choose to travel his way, you need to know something. He will take care of you. You need not worry. The one who looks after the birds of the air and lilies in a field can certainly take care of you!
I wonder if you honestly believe that to be true.
Because you will have to if you choose to follow Jesus. His path is a climb down the ladder. His race moves to the bottom, not the top. Something here has to give. You can not climb the ladder and race your way to the top if you're with Jesus.
The American Dream collides with the Kingdom of God. Which way will you choose to go?
Up or Down?
Just know that if you choose to climb down, he's going to take care of you. He won't shatter your dreams in the process. He will actually bring them to completion--in a way you never dreamed possible.
The Christian Life is a race to the bottom.














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