The American Dream is an ideal generally defined as the opportunity for anyone to be successful and happy if they work hard and have a desire to achieve more. Traditionally, that meant having a stable, good-paying job which provided a way to home ownership, nice vehicles, a lot of stuff, and fun vacations. America has been a land of opportunity for many people, but the way of life that was commonplace decades ago is more of a struggle to obtain for a growing number of people. Millennials, for example, have gradually increased their share of home ownership; but it has taken longer than any previous generation going back to the baby boomers. The dramatic increase in the cost of buying a home over the past several years has only compounded the issue. Despite this, surveys have shown that a healthy majority of people still consider homeownership to be part of the American Dream. The cost of owning an automobile has also increased, as have food, clothing, and many other necessities and luxuries of life.
It’s easy to lament the affordability challenges that are faced by many people of all ages and the growing difficulty that millennials like me and younger generations face when desiring to have a way of life that resembles our parents and grandparents. However, I recently thought about this issue in a different way based on a biblical principle. In two places, the Scriptures describe believers in Jesus Christ as strangers and pilgrims. In those verses, a stranger is defined as one from another country, and a pilgrim is one who travels in a foreign land. The reminder for the Christian is that in a spiritual and eternal sense, this world (or our country) is not our home. We are just passing through on a lifelong journey. Our destination and final home are initially heaven and ultimately the new earth and new Jerusalem that are described in the Bible.
Hebrews 11:13 says “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” It was written about the promises that were given to Abraham and others after him who didn’t live long enough to see all the events unfold that would lead to the fulfillment of those promises which included the birth of Christ; yet with a pilgrim mentality, they maintained faith in what God had said. 1 Peter 2:11 says, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” It is an urgent call for Christians to refrain from carnal, temporary longings due to our status as strangers and pilgrims. Those fleshly lusts get our focus on earthly and sinful things which bring us temporary pleasure and are at odds with God’s desire for our mind, emotions, and will to be dedicated to whatever pleases Him and has eternal value.
From a perspective of what is beneficial for the stability and quality of life of individuals, families, and society, buying a home, having a reliable car, and maintaining an opportunity to enjoy some of the countless number of goods and experiences as discretionary funds allow are a blessing. For the Christian, however, the desire to experience these things should not outweigh a pilgrim-first mentality that results in contentment and a structuring of priorities emphasizing eternal value from a biblical perspective that leads to sustainable satisfaction and a God-honoring life that is lived in the center of His will. A pilgrim-first mentality means that no matter my housing status, no matter what kind or how many cars I drive, no matter how many electronic devices I own, no matter where I’m able to go on vacation, I have all I need because I have Jesus Christ and a certain destination that far outweighs the American Dream.
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