The Overrated American Dream

“You’re just a lazy millennial.”

“Get a real job.”

“Why aren’t you married yet?”

I’ve processed a lot of questions and thought through those responses. The ones that were the hardest to answer were the ones you just read. For a while, I believed that I was a failure. I always equated success with money. In the South aka the “Belt Buckle of the Bible Belt”, there is an enormous pressure placed upon so many to get rich quick, get married, have kids, and capture the American Dream. I fell into that trap. I fell hard and fast. But let me tell you how I ended up where I am today.

After I graduated college, I worked a desk job. I hated it and knew there was more to life than this. I worked for a record label, and my boss also owned a pool company. He pressured me more and more to sell pools for him because, “This music thing won’t last forever, someday you’re gonna need money.”

About 6 months into my job, I saw an Instagram ad for a man selling his idea of "becoming your own boss and making 8k a month”. It was social media marketing and boy did it look appealing. So I quit my job and started this business from the ground up. I decided I was going to quit music forever because my boss was right. Someday I am gonna need money.

I pitched my business idea to a few local businesses and soon before you know it, I had clients agreeing to pay me a certain amount per month. I had one client, who was a lawyer, barter with me on taking care of all the legal factors of the business and I would run his social media account. He also had a side business that paid me $2,000 my first month working for him. He was establishing me as a C Corporation because we had huge dreams that “Social Brother” would be an enormous success someday. I had a dentist office agree to $1800 per month, and had countless leads that made 8k per month a serious possibility. I also received a $50 a week position as a worship leader at a local church to keep my music career ‘alive’. That was the last thing on the list of priorities. Money was my new God.

Then the very next day after I accepted the worship leader role, I lost the girl I was dating and my business partner left in the same week. I still tried to keep my business alive and keep working hard for it. Then, the very next month, my lawyer died in his sleep. I had no idea what to do. I could no longer legally take people’s money because I had no idea how to establish myself as a C Corporation. It seems like the business died when my lawyer did. I was depressed. Marriage, money, and the American Dream was dying. I was a failure. I had nothing left but $50 a week worship leader position at the local church.

It seems like every plan I made God had a different one. Even after I denied His existence. (Still seems that way really)

I worked for that church for 2 years. Jesus met me at my lowest point. So I decided to live my life for His word and his promises. I lived on mission this past summer and planned on living in England for the rest of my life.

But, I recently moved to Nashville after receiving the offer of a lifetime. Jay Demarcus, the bass player for Rascal Flatts, started a record label. He was looking at signing a band I had been playing with on the weekends for the last 4 years. We auditioned twice in his living room and things were looking really optimistic for us. Signing to a record label, making music you love, and touring the world with your best friends sounds like a dream right? Sounds like the American Dream I have always wanted deep down. Only God could have provided it. Granted, we worked our butts off playing almost every single weekend for the past 4 years. We had earned this opportunity. Work hard, walk worthy, is my new life motto.

But every plan I make, it seems like God has a different one. I felt the tug of the Holy Spirit pulling me back to the most spiritually lost continent on the planet. So I fasted and prayed. “God, let my desires become your desires.” Psalm 37:4 says “Delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” That scripture is abused like crazy in our culture. Our hearts naturally desire selfishness, greed, and what we want. This time, I wanted what He wanted. I took delight in His desires, and they became mine.

Call me crazy, stupid, a fool, but I gave up the music opportunity of a lifetime to live a life on mission. I now work for Greater Europe Mission as a Regional Mobilizer. I spend 8 months in the USA recruiting and promoting GEM and will spend my summers in Europe. I am the most content I have ever been. I am crazy enough to believe I can change the world. I will, with God’s help. God is going to use me to start a worship movement in Europe. To make disciples and tell people about the hope that is found in Jesus. I get to challenge people my age to join me on this life of mission! To live for Jesus rather than live for themselves.

Don’t follow your dreams, follow Jesus.

The American Dream is not the gospel sized God dream the Lord has planned for people who call themselves Christian. We are all called to make disciples (Matthew 28). Mark 10:25 tells us that it’s impossible for a rich man to inherit the kingdom of God. Luke 9, Jesus says “Leave your family and follow me. Take up your burdens and follow me”. Do we as christians in America believe this? Or are we chasing the overrated American Dream?

Don’t gain the world and lose your soul. Live for something greater than yourself. His name is Jesus.

This is just an opinion. If you’ve worked hard for the American Dream then great. This is for anyone under 30 who calls themselves christian. I lost the American Dream. I was faithful, then had the opportunity thrown in my face to pursue it again. I gave up the American Dream for God’s dreams for the nations. I regret nothing. Try it, it won’t be easy, but I promise you that it will be worth it.