For many of us living in America, we strive to live a full life and we search for something we call the “American Dream”. I was reading a post on another site today that made me think a little harder about just what we’re striving for – and what the “American Dream” is.
The definition of the “American Dream” seems to change depending upon who you ask, but usually it has something to do with becoming wealthy, having a huge house, fast cars and an attractive spouse. The problem is, what many people are striving for won’t make them happy, and won’t help them to find peace or contentment.
Where Can We Find True Wealth?
When we seek to find happiness and contentment in material things, as so many have done – we often end up having neither happiness or contentment. We find that things are empty and leave a whole in our lives. They bring their own problems along with them.
So what is true wealth? We find out in 1st Timothy:
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 1 Timothy 6:6-8
Far too often we place value on things that are meaningless, things that end up being nothing but dust. If we can find our peace and contentment in Him, we will have true wealth.
@Pete – Thanks for the mention. I find that too often the idea of contentment has been completely forgotten and nothing less than ‘the best’ is good enough. For Christians, we need to understand what God wants for us isn’t always what we want for ourselves.