Made for Stardom

Over the past years, many famous people have dominated the headlines: Brittney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Heath Ledger, the Governor of New York, baseball players, the Detroit mayor, senators, ect..  Why are they in the news?  Sexual promiscuity, money scandals, suicide, drugs, alcohol abuse.  Oprah just started a study group with the teaching that we are god, we should thank our self for salvation.  She uses her popularity to mislead millions to believe that it is not about believing but rather feeling god.

Earthly stardom allows an individual to be a failure in managing their personal life yet be an expert on world peace, governmental affairs, military strategies, and revealing the true meaning of life.  Of course it is not just the secular world.  High profile Christian leaders can be found on the news with their numerous opulent homes, extravagant trips, plans, and sexually promiscuity.

All of this made me wonder.  Did God have stardom in His plan when He created man?  Are we able to handle such power and fame?  Does it matter?

Some quick questions:

Who won the Super Bowl three years ago?  Who was Miss America two years ago?  Who was the richest man in the world prior to Bill Gates?  What teacher influenced your life the most?

I do believe God created us to be stars but not in the way the world views stardom.  We look at fame, fortunes, beauty, and popularity.  We look at the outward.  God looks at the heart. 

If you are like most, you were unable to answer the first three questions with ease.  However, the name of your most influential teacher came immediately.  Interesting.  We strive to be popular, powerful, better looking.  We hinge our contentment on our success and financial gain.  Yet, in an ironic twist, we most easily remember the one who makes the average salary, may or may not be attractive, and are seldom known outside of their community.  We remember the one who invested their time in us, the one who cared, the one whose heart touched ours.

If star power resulted in happiness, Hollywood would be the happiest place on earth.  Yet, instead of happiness, drugs, divorce, alcoholism, suicide, and scandals fill the town were dreams supposedly come true.  Think of our political leaders.  They are powerful, influential, and occasionally popular.  Yet, somehow, many fall into the trap of a self-indulgence that only leads to disgrace. 

So what is God’s definition of stardom?  It is being humble, giving, and a loving servant.

You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13 NIV).

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in various forms (1 Peter 4:10).

The Lord Almighty planned it, to bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth (Isaiah 23:9).

I grew up in the country where our closest neighbor lived a mile away.  Mr. Brown was a poor man who worked hard to provide for his family.  They had no plumbing, no electricity, no vehicle, and lived in a run-down house.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown had no front teeth and were far from being attractive according to the world’s standards.  But they were loving and caring people, people of integrity and a strong work ethic. 

One hot, August day, I was headed into town, and I saw the Browns walking to our house.  I stopped to pick them up.  Mrs. Brown had baked a pie for my parents.  I knew that in order to make the homemade pie, Mrs. Brown had to fire up her wood-burning oven on a hot, August day.  There was no obligation.  She just wanted to show some kindness to her neighbor.

Mr. Brown would bring his team of mules down in the spring to plow our garden before we bought a tractor.  He would always argue with my Dad when money was mentioned.  There was “no charge, Mr. Walters,” Mr. Brown would reply.  Even though Mr. Brown was older than my Dad, he still addressed him as “Mr. Walters.”

Mr. Brown died several years ago.  My mom said that the funeral home was packed, filled with folks waiting outside to honor this simple man with a huge heart.

That same week I watched a documentary on the richest man in America during the 1900s.  He had a pay phone installed in his home for guests to use.  In an interview with his children, they stated that they were born because it was the popular thing to do for people of influence.  The children discussed how their money was their biggest curse.  And just like Mr. Brown, just like everyone, this man died.  I tried to imagine what his funeral was like, how the conversations centered around who inherited what.  Even his children found little good to say about their now deceased father.

The lives of these two men, Mr. Brown and the richest man in the world, taught me a huge lesson about legacies and how I want to be remembered.  I could not help but think of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 18.  Who was God’s “star”?

Right after I became a Christian, a true “star” touched my life.  He was the most courageous, strong, determined, and positive person I know.  Once a year, our church would have a day dedicated to prayer.  On that day, Bill would walk three miles to be the first one there.  He had planned to walk home, but our pastor asked me to get his run down van to pick him up.  Bill had yet to leave the prayer room all day.

Why do I call Bill a “star?”  Bill had muscular dystrophy; he had never taken one step in life.  He was confined to a wheel chair and was totally reliant on others to get him out of bed, clothe him, prepare meals, and all of the other little things that we take for granted.  He was so weak that whoever got his morning started had to open his Bible so that Bill could turn the pages with an eraser on the end of a pencil.  By the way, the “walk” to church that I just mentioned in the previous paragraph would make sores on his back and bottom due to the three mile trek in his electric wheelchair.  Bill had everything to complain about, yet others confided in him and looked to him for strength.  Bill praised God for what he had, and did not question his life’s circumstances.

Bill died at the age of 40.  He was a hero to me and a “star” to God. 

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe, as you hold out the word of life - in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing (Philippians 2:14-16 NIV).

Did Jesus create us for “stardom?”  I believe He did, but I battle everyday to strive for His stardom and not mine.  It is about exalting Him and not me. 

May we shine like stars in the universe for Him!