Pastors, Beware the American Dream

The American dream is life, liberty, and the pursuit of money. It must be, because that’s how society works. Money pays church expenses—salaries, rent or the mortgage, electricity bills for lighting, heating, or air conditioning, staff and public liability insurance, etc. Sadly, we need money to have a place to have a church service. Despite that being so, we should have a higher aspiration than making money. Let’s consider biblical principles on contentment and materialism for pastors.

The Bible on Materialism

A healthy income promises us a house, a good car, nice clothes, and societal status. It can give us what the world calls “success,” and yet true success is something the money-loving world sees as an enemy—“contentment.” They don’t want you to be content with your car, your house, your iPhone, your clothes, or even your looks. This is because discontentment is the lifeblood of advertising. They need your money—so they will rock your boat until you abandon it and get their product. And so we are barraged by advertising from every side telling us that we need more, bigger, and better. That’s the way the world works, and your contentment throws a wrench into their money-making machine.

David, as the King of Israel, knew material success, and yet he said, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1). Wanting is the thief of contentment. Listen to Scripture hold up the ideal of contentment while at the same time warning of the pain that inevitably comes with want:

“Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Timothy 6:6-9).

We Seek a Better Treasure

I was very fortunate to have the contentment revelation when I was 20 years old—two years before I came to faith. I was successful materially and could see that if I wanted more, I was chasing the wind. Around that time, a retired businessman came into my business and, seeing its potential for growth, soberly said two words: “Stay small.” 

Such advice is the opposite of the American Dream. It is against innovation, ambition, growth, spending, thinking big, and having vision. But I could see that growing bigger would enslave me, while staying small would ensure my freedom. I found this to be true two years later when I came to faith in Jesus. My freedom meant that I could serve God unhindered. 

Matthew Henry said, “He is much happier that is always content, though he has ever so little, than he that is always coveting, though he has ever so much.”

As we have seen, there are obvious advantages to gaining wealth. You get the cool car, the nice house, and of course, the knowledge that your healthy bank account means that you are shored up for the future. But wealth doesn’t come easy. It may mean sacrificing time with your wife and children or neglecting the needs of your church members. We should be careful not to let the desire for money lead us to be unfaithful in our homes or in our churches.

Pastor, let’s not let the American Dream hinder us from faithfulness. The biblical principles on contentment and materialism discussed here allow us to dream for something better. Instead of dreaming about the car or the house first and foremost, may we dream for our congregations, that they would be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). He is the better treasure.  Let’s seek him first, always.

©2024 Ray Comfort. Used with permission.