Poor in Spirit in America
This morning as I was reading I came across the gentleman who coined the phrase American Dream. His name is James Truslow Adams. He spoke of it in 1931 as a dream…in which each man and woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are (James Truslow Adams, The Epic of America, Boston: Little, Borwn, 1933, 415). When you read this it sounds all things seem great, but when you think about it this promotes that the greatest thing each of us have is our self. So, we are to believe in ourselves and trust in ourselves and when we accomplish something in our own power we get the glory for it.
How do we who have repented and believe in the gospel handle this? Remember the kingdom of heaven is at hand and the first characteristic that should mark us is being poor in spirit. How do you be poor in spirit and live the American dream? You can’t. But, if you are like me we sure try to. Being poor in spirit means we are powerless, good for nothing on our own, completely dependent on the power of God and attributing to God all the glory for all that He does in and through us. So, this is the complete opposite of the American Dream. The American Dream and the way of the kingdom of heaven are at odds. I would say at war. The enemy has blinded us making us believe that we can be a follower of Christ and still pursue the American Dream. I would attend that the American Dream is the wide path that ends in destruction. Jesus talked of another road that was narrow and the way to life. I believe we have also made for ourselves a middle road trying to live for the kingdom of heaven and the American Dream at the same time. Somewhere down the path this road enters the wide road and leads to destruction also.
I believe we must choose the attitude that Jesus wanted us to have and be poor in spirit. We must be dependent on God for everything. We must be desperate for His power. God so wants to show His provision and display His greatness, but too often we settle for our abilities and exalt what we can do even in the church. We need God’s power to comfort, guide, help and be the source. As people incapable may we be desperate realizing that we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us. He is our Comforter, Guide, Helper and Source. Romans 8 tells us that the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us. This is the power we have in us. May we be poor in spirit, being desperate for the power of God in our life, so that God would be made much of.
