Why Would the American Dream be Dead?
Is the American Dream dead? This question was posed to my son’s American Literature class after they read F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gatsby. The question stunned my son, and he asked me why the American dream would be dead.
What is the American Dream?
The answer depends on who you ask. For the pilgrims, it was living in a land that allowed for religious freedom. For those fighting in the American revolution, the dream was life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness or no taxation without representation. Today, the answer could be finding a steady paying job. For some, it’s two kids and a house in the suburbs. For others, it’s becoming a millionaire, billionaire, or trillionaire.
Jay Gatsby’s dream was finding a way to win back the woman he loved, but Daisy had married another man while he fought in WWI. Gatsby believed the way back into Daisy’s heart was to impress her with his wealth and status. I told my son that even if Gatsby had found a way to win back Daisy, he never would have found the fulfillment of the American Dream because God hadn’t been part of his plan.
People can become billionaires, marry the man or woman of their dreams, or become famous and still never feel fulfilled. The only way to achieve fulfillment is by living out God’s purpose for your life. No matter how “great” Gatsby became, he was destined for failure because God wasn’t in his scheme to win. The American dream is only dead when we take God out of it.
Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Church in Leesburg, VA said, “God has the right to wreck your plans if they’re not his.” Ask Jonah how it went on his voyage to Tarshish, Sarah after giving her maidservant, Hagar, to her husband because she'd yet to become pregnant, or Jacob who tricked his father into giving him his brother’s blessing only to learn a hard lesson later when his Uncle Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah when he loved Rachel.
A lot of people quote Psalm 37:4, “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your heart’s desires.” But I like to read the psalm with a little more context. Here’s Psalm 37:3-6:
“Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.”
Eventually, worldly plans will fail, but nothing can stop us when we put our trust in the Lord and align our hearts and plans with God’s will. Our joy and fulfillment will be great. Hard work, faith, and sacrifice will still be required, but the reward will be out of this world.