Word for the day " Jesus and the American Dream"

Commemoration: Happy Birthday to Martin Luther King Jr. today acknowledged by the World, He had a dream rooted in the American dream!What could be better than the American Dream?A steady job, money in the bank and a hefty 401(k) for retirement – coupled with a nice house in the ‘burbs, a white-picket fence, two kids and a dog, a swagger wagon for mom and a sedan for dad. Life couldn’t get any better than that, right? Isn’t There More to Life?I mean, do we just go through life trying to reach the next promotion so we can move into a better neighborhood with a better school system so our kids can do better than we have done? I often think about what Jesus might say regarding the American Dream. It’s so important to have a relevant understanding of Jesus or Jesus just becomes something nice to say or do in our lives?Would Jesus want everyone to be a homeowner, everyone to have comfort and the security of a nice economy with nothing to worry about? For some reason, I just can’t believe Jesus would encourage us to pursue the American Dream! Maybe I’m wrong – if so please tell me what you think?But here’s why I think this:“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – (Matthew 6:19-21 NIV)The American Dream seems to be about earthly treasure – not the treasure of the heavenly kind! So here’s the question of the day:“Are you building up earthly treasure, or are you storing up treasures in heaven?”In order to answer that question we need to understand the difference between earthly and heavenly treasure and then we need to look at our own hearts to determine which one we are really living for.The Heart of the Matter- This whole issue of heavenly versus earthly treasure really comes down to the heart. In other words, which do you love more – earthly goods or heavenly treasure? Don’t you just love how Jesus always brings things right back to our hearts and challenges us with our idols?Point to ponder - Jesus has a way of reaching down to the epicenter of our souls and challenging our framework and then getting us to rethink our framework so that He is the one we are living for!So, let me ask you: Are you constantly worrying about your money? Do you have an unhealthy preoccupation with your net worth, accumulating more wealth, investing, making more money, saving more money, or getting the next promotion?Any one of those things can become an earthly treasure. Again, it comes down to what our hearts love more!For His Glory,Pastor James Baker, Jr.