So much of our lives are controlled by what we have, material or not while other times it's controlled by things that we don't have such as the things that we constantly want. We go to school when we are young to be educated - so that we can eventually go to high school and get a diploma. We go to high school and work to graduate, often in the hopes of going to college. If not college, then we get a job and begin working to pay bills such as mortgages or car payments. If we do go to college, we go so that we can get a better job that pays more, and when we do (hopefully) graduate, it is time to start a career and pay even more bills (since most college students graduate with thousands of dollars of debt).
Pursuing "the American Dream" was once a courageous step of faith - looking to seize an opportunity of success. People want to be self made - to be a one of a kind success, living their lives wealthy and free. However, so many people get sucked into more of a get rich quick dream, rather than the American Dream. We look for ways to make money and end up overworking ourselves, throwing our lives out of balance, all for what? To pay more bills? Now, I am not a critic of hard work - I believe hard work does in fact pay off. But, we need to look at what we are working hard for. The way we define success is of upmost importance. We often look at success as having "things;" having money, having cars, having boats, having a big house, having an attractive family, having a degree from a prestigious university, all of it. You know what I am talking about. We all want these things because it would just make life so much easier, wouldn't it?
These things can all be good, but there is much danger in letting them consume us. There is a magnificent story in the Bible that talks of someone wanting something, wanting someone. In the book of 1 Samuel, we read about a woman named Hannah. Hannah was married to a man who loved her genuinely. He loved her despite her inability to have children - so much so that he would give her a double portion when the family went to go make sacrifices. It may not sound like a big deal, but seeing as how his other wife (which was okay at the time, stay focused) and the children he had with her all received half of what Hannah was given. Throughout the first chapter we see Hannah crying out to the Lord multiple times. However, she was not simply speaking or gently weeping - no, she was in "deep anguish" (verses 10 & 16). She was so hysterical that the priest thought she was drunk! Though this may seem comedic, it is true nonetheless. Hannah was grieving for her lack of fertility.
Before we move on, I would like to say that this is not simply a message to those who are unable to conceive. Hannah's issue was infertility, maybe yours is an addiction. Maybe its a relationship. Maybe its a lost loved one. Maybe it is a new job. Whatever the situation; whatever the obstacle, it is still relevant. Jesus did not come for the healthy, He came for the sick. He came for those in need. He came for those who cannot help themselves (all of us).
Back to the story - Hannah is overwhelmed with anguish. In her longing to conceive a child she prays....
"Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head." - 1 Samuel 1:11
No razor being used on his head is a symbol of dedication to the Lord - this was also mentioned in the story of Samson, in the book of Judges. Hannah made a vow to the Lord to give Him her son should she conceive. Well, eventually she did conceive. The Lord answered her prayer. And Hannah dedicated her son to the Lord at a young age (after he was weaned).
What amazes me about this story is how genuine Hannah was. All she wanted was a child. That ONE miracle she wanted...was a child. When we think about it, the process of childbirth is not the most desirable thing in and of itself. Hannah did not want to go through that pain for the mere fun of it; she did not want to just have a child for the status - she wanted to be a mother. She wanted to provide an heir and a son to her husband. But, she was so genuine in her desire, her dream, that she was willing to give up what she wanted. Yes - she had a son, but once he was weaned she handed him over to Eli (the priest, or representative, of the Lord) to be in service of the Lord. She was willing to give her dream, her desire, to God. She trusted Him. She trusted God with her child's life.
Well, not only did God give her what she desired, he rewarded her faithfulness. We see in the second chapter that she ended up conceiving three more sons and two daughters. And that is an excellent demonstration of the God we serve.
What does this have to do with "the American Dream" or success? Hannah was selfless with her desire - she was willing to surrender her child and hand him over for the Lord's work. She wanted something, but she did not let that be the center of her heart or her life. She handed her dream over to the Lord to see what He would do - in doing this she kept God first; she kept God as the center of her life.
So often we get consumed by what we want - by what we need. But most of the time, we would not be willing to hand those things over to God. Most of the time we do not even consult God before going down a certain path, not knowing what it may lead to. How prideful of us - to think that we know ourselves better than the One who knitted us together in our mother's womb; to think that we know what we need more than God knows; to think that something other than God can truly bring us life.
As I said, maybe your dream is not a child, or maybe it is; regardless - it is high time that we give our dreams over to the Lord, surrendering them completely to Him. One of the most magnificent parts of this story is that Hannah got more than she asked for - once God saw that her dream, her son was not an idol, He allowed her to conceive five more times.
This is not a "how to" on getting blessed or being successful. We get too focused on trying to find a perfect formula for getting what we want from God. Meanwhile, all God wants from us is for us to love Him; for us to be in continual relationship with Him, yielding to Him and being obedient to Him. At the end of the day, it is not about what we have. It is not about what we end up with. Why? Because all of it will pass away.
"Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done."" - Matthew 16:24-27
God desires a relationship with us. Jesus, the perfect lamb, was subject to the most intense and horrible death anyone could receive - but not in vain. He rose to life three days later - all so we can have an open relationship with God and that He could communicate with his creation intimately and give us the desires of our hearts. Hannah's story is the perfect example of receiving abundantly above and beyond what we could ask or imagine just by being in tune with God and His Will for our life. Let's be like Hannah and give the Lord the desires of our heart so that He can bless us in the best way!
