Missional Thought of the Day - We Can Achieve Nothing Without God

[James Nored]

in his new book, Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream, author David Platt exposes many ways in which the American dream and American ideals are contrary to the gospel. One American myth that he exposes is that we can do anything on our own through hard work and American ingenuity. He says:

"The dangerous assumption we unknowingly accept in the American Dream is that our greatest asset is our own ability. The American dream prizes what people can accomplish when they believe in themselves and trust in themselves, and we are drawn towards such thinking. But the gospel has different priorities. The gospel beckons us to die to ourselves and to believe in God and to trust in his power. In the gospel, God confronts us with our own utter inability to accomplish anything of value apart from him. This is what Jesus meant when he said, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing.'" (p. 46)

This is one aspect of the American dream I really bought into--unknowingly. I am an Achieverr on the Strengths Finder survey, and I grew up in a household with an Achiever father. I love to learn, work hard, strategize. My parents always taught me that I could do anything I put my mind to. And to a certain extent, this was true. I got three undergrad degrees, got into medical school, dropped out of medical school to go into ministry, etc. I love new challenges, new goals, and learning new things.

But either due to the church culture in which I grew up in or my own shortcomings (or both), I somehow failed to realize that it is God who makes things happen. For too long my prayers were perfunctory when they needed to be long and fervent, or they were cries out to make what I was trying to make happen, happen. The idea of total surrentder, of giving up on striving (as an underlying attitude), etc., is one which I have had to learn. We can do a lot on our own, but in the end, if we are working by the flesh and not by the Spirit's power, this leads to death.

I am glad that Pratt has brought this myth out and exposed it.

How do you think that the "American Dream"--our nation's myths and values--interferes with our faith?