Beyond Sunday Worship

Worship Podcast & Blog

Is It Wrong To Pursue Fame?

I love fame.

If I’m honest, fame influences my actions…every day.

I do a good deed so that my fame will dance around your mind.

I live to be noticed.

Maybe you’ll even share what I’ve done so that the spreading of my fame continues.

Do I have a problem?

Photo Credit: Flickr (Creative Commons)

While I do love this dance of my praise, I know that something is wrong. You know that something is wrong. Fame is great, but it’s empty.

Fame can’t handle your expectations. You simply can’t bank your life on it.

There’s a lot of talk these days about building your platform, extending your influence, and growing your tribe. Essentially, it’s about becoming famous.

But is the pursuit of fame wrong?

But I’m wondering if the pursuit of fame is wrong?

Consider this verse from the Apostle Paul, speaking of Titus’ companion:

“With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel” (II Corinthians 8:18).

They didn’t seem to know this guy’s name, but they knew what he was known for. People talked about him. People loved it when he preached. He was famous.

Being “famous” in this world is not wrong. As long as there are humans, there will be famous people. Even in the church. Anytime someone works hard and performs with excellence, they will have fans. They will be famous, even if only for a few people.

Matter of fact, I believe fame can be used to make a massive difference.

The kicker is what you are famous for.

Think about it:

  • Thomas is famous for doubting…
  • Hitler is famous for murdering…
  • Bill Clinton is famous for his affair…
  • Harold Camping is famous for being ridiculous…

Titus’ companion was famous for preaching the gospel. We don’t know what this guy was like behind the scenes, whether he was a raging egomaniac or a self absorbed jerk. All we know is that he was famous for preaching the Gospel.

What Are You Famous For?

I don’t want to be famous for how much money I had.

I don’t want to be famous for how hard I worked.

I don’t want to be famous for the size of my trophy room.

I want to be famous for preaching the Gospel. Famous for aligning my life with the priorities of Heaven. Famous for living and speaking and breathing and dying the name of Jesus Christ.

Question: What about you? What do you want to be famous for? And is it wrong to pursue fame? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

Comments

  2. Jennifer says

    Ahhhh the timely reminder. I’m really struggling with this right now. For all that I KNOW this verse, and have meditated on it, and embrace it in theory… Right now I’m involved in a project where I find myself concerned about *my* name. My credit. Will *I* be known for it…. And the whole aim of the project is- or is supposed to be- to glorify GOD – not me. GAH!

    Praise be to God who will rescue me from this body of self-seeking death.

    All that aside, Right now…. I want to be famous for loving my neighbors. (my actual, literal, right-here-on-my-street neighbors) I want to be known as the hostess of a safe, loving and supportive haven.

    • David Santistevan says

      I totally relate, Jennifer. I want God to get the glory as long as I’m recognized for giving it to Him 🙂 That’s messed up, but God has grace on our fragile selves.

  3. Sarah Wooten says

    Truth be told, I don’t want to be famous.

    No, SERIOUSLY!!!!

    Fame comes with all kinds of baggage, complete loss of privacy, and I know very few really famous people who are able to handle the pressure. I don’t want that at all.

    I don’t want my face in tabloids, I don’t want everybody to love me, I don’t want to be polarizing. I don’t want paparazzi camped out on my lawn – I am pretty introverted. I already get enough weirdness with my husband’s job (people can’t help it) and there are lots of times when I go places to hide.

    What I do want to be is influential. For good. For the Kingdom. I want to leave this planet a better place and have made a difference while I was here. I want to teach people things they might not know about themselves or God and see them live freer, more empowered lives. This drive comes from someplace down deep and forces me to continue moving out of my cocoon of introversion and into relationship…which does not come naturally (I’m so jealous of extroverts!). It also, unavoidably, brings me into the spotlight. I considered using a pseudonym, but that went against the values of authenticity and connection. Crap. Oh well.

    I want, no, I’ve been told to establish a safehouse for girls coming out of sex trafficking. (When I put it down in print, it raises my commitment level – thanks for the space). That will take money and influence – things that usually come from being famous. So what do you do?

    Just being honest here.

    I’m no saint (hahahahahahahahahahahaha) but being famous really isn’t a desire. I’ve got other hangups…when you hit on them I’ll be sure to confess. 🙂

    • David Santistevan says

      Awesomeness. It’s documented, Sarah! So, has God told you to establish a safehouse for girls or…was that someone else?

      And I think you hit on something special. Fame naturally comes from people who influence. It’s human nature to put people on a pedestal. So as you continue to pursue influence, Sarah, a certain degree of fame will come. That is great, if used for the Kingdom!

      • Sarah Wooten says

        Aw dang. It’s documented.

        You know when you have one of those moments with God that is clear and hazy and heavy and light all at the same time? About 3 years ago I had been going through a really intensive obsession with social justice, eating clean, being green and fair trade and whatnot. You might think that is a good thing, and it was to an extent, but at the time, I tended to overdo things and I also tended to beat people over the head with my causes. I was one of ‘those’….you know….hemp wearin’, shun everything not organic, parade my fair trade purse, wash my hair with baking soda, OMG-you-don’t-recycle-I-am-better-than-everyone-else greenies.

        This was just me. My story. I’m not talking about anybody else or putting anybody else down who feels this way – it was just me. The reason I am bringing it up is I made my causes in an idol.

        I knew it was an idol because it ended up not being life-giving at all and I was finding my identity in that and not Christ. At the time, I had just had two babies in a row, and I was trying to do-all, be-all and have zero carbon footprint at the same time. What was I thinking????? I know I alienated a lot of people and exhausted myself in the process.

        Oh my goshness I am getting off topic.

        Fast forward a year. I was burnt out on trying to avoid high fructose corn syrup, commute on bike and compost everything, lol. I came to a more balanced and life-giving stance on all things environmental and fair trade, surrendered my pride in these things and somehow, I ended up at a Chris Tomlin concert.

        Like many of your readers I am guessing, God speaks most clearly to me through music. During the concert, the Spirit was heavy and I remember feeling compelled to kneel in obedience. When I did, God sat near me and whispered and showed me pictures. I wept on a chair for an hour, oblivious to what was going on around me, and during that time God clearly gave me a vision for a sex trafficking house in the Far East, and somehow, I was going to be responsible for that. It is burned on my soul like a firebrand – and I cannot ever forget. I feel like, if I am truly following Christ, that the Spirit will lead me in the way I should go. I am believing that vision for that day, because the visions have never been wrong and I cannot ever forget the faces of the women, of the children I saw.

        I also believe that testimony has physical power. Every time I tell a story of God’s greatness or work, I release more of God’s power into this world, and the Kingdom of Heaven comes closer. Who knows who will read this extremely run-on comment? You never know who will come by this corner of the internet, read these words and think, “God gave me that same vision too! How can we make this happen?” Testimony is the opportunity for further miracles, further signs and wonders because I know God is at work.

        This comment is going on waayy too long already, and I’ve got dishes to do. The short answer is God. God gave me a vision a couple of years ago. I’ve been blessed in this life to see several prophetic things come to pass, and I no longer question the things of God (even though I used to be a HUGE SKEPTIC – helloooo – I’m a scientist here!)

        Ok. Gonna shut up. David – thank you for your heart and your blog. Your true spirit shines through in every post, every response, and every word you write. Thanks for being so gracious and letting people like me drone on and on and on in your comments section.

        P.S. It’s neat to see people coming on over to Sacred Misfit from here for a visit because David’s readers are cool like that. I apologize in ADVANCE – today’s blog is a ‘we are all in this together’ post and is about potty training. You’ve been warned. 😉

        • Rhonda Sue Davis says

          Susan, I too have dishes to do! I wonder what is safer, writing our thoughts, doing those dishes, or dealing with the trafficking in a way that brings those who profit from it to their knees? God knows. And He is the best bet, if you are willing to take some risk in the taking of it.
          I tried the there is no God thing. He made nonsense of that. I spent a couple of years not even wanting listening to christian music, or bible teaching, and was really fed up with all the confusing and conflicting metaphysical stuff.
          Got real tired of all the versions humans had of God, and realized only the tiniest piece of what I knew to be true of Him. And I was broke and ANGRY and felt worthless. From there He spoke to m in scripture passages and simple pictures, very slowly and very softly, it took a long time for me to even quiet down inside enough and risk realizing the people and situations He had brought and placed around me. I stopped fighting and trying so hard, and then He started changing my world, massively. Turned it on its head so I could see straight I suppose. Why did he do that? Because He loves and cares a whole lot more than I do for this world and He had to be all the way in to even start the process of opening my heart for binding and functioning. My head had it all figured out, but the work of His Spirit was what I lacked in all the “service” and “learning” and “giving” and “being strong” and “knowing what is right” over the years.

  4. Sarah Wooten says

    P.S. I forgot to answer your good question. Is it wrong to pursue fame?

    Here is my completely subjective answer: No. Unless you are negatively impacting other people, plants or animals along the way. I live life by the veterinarian’s oath: Above all, do no harm.

    What do other people think?

    P.S. David, great article. You can tell I like to hang out here. 🙂

  5. Jon Stolpe says

    I want to be famous for having integrity. Maybe famous is the wrong word. I want to live with integrity. And hopefully, I will be known this way. If it makes me famous, so be it.

  6. Khamille Coelho says

    I actually want to be influential to a point where I influence a generation to look at Jesus for their identity and not the so called “FAMOUS ONES”

    I mean Jesus was and is FAMOUS! People followed Him EVERYWHERE!
    THEY SOLD ALL THEIR STUFF TO FOLLOW HIM!

    I don’t think it’s wrong to be famous. But when you do become famous, whos being glorified?

    • David Santistevan says

      I suppose that’s the choice we have when there’s fame – will we bask in it and become conceited or continue to pour glory and honor upon the One who deserves it? I want to spend my life making the name of Jesus famous.

  7. Gert Steenkamp says

    If anything, I believe that one should be famous for making a difference – even if it was only in one person’s life!
    It is not wrong to be famous, but it will be wrong if you handle it incorrectly.
    Some people can handle fame, others cannot! Staying humble is one thing if you are not famous, but what will happen when you become famous?

  9. Phil says

    I want to be famous for being an encourager, and one that declares it is grace, mercy and, faith that leads to obediance in Christ, absolutley nothing else.

  10. Jeff Goins says

    GREAT question, David. Because now, anyone can be famous. The question is SHOULD they be? I’m inclined to think not. Of course, there is a difference between influence and fame. Everyone has influence; it’s unavoidable. The real issue for me is what to do with it. Keep provoking us like this; great thoughts and questions.

  12. Rhonda Sue Davis says

    What we pursue is what we are known for. What we hold, what we give. What we lose, what we gain. What we cry out for, what we could care less about. What we blurt out, what gets left unsaid. Where that all takes us and how we receive or reject. I think pursuing fame is pointless. The basic things come first, and if those are in place, there is no limit other than what our behavior, environment and aptitude place upon us. We need to feed and clothe and love each other. For real. Physically, spiritually and otherwise. Without the sideshow. This county is in pain, this world has scars we don’t want to admit. And we hold the hope of all ages within us, or at least we hope that we do.

  13. Rhonda Sue Davis says

    I want to be famous for the life I lived, the awful and wonderful and notable and unmentionable truth of it all. And so I shall. This is a sobering and incredibly joyful realization. I don’t want to be pretty words covering an angry hateful heart. I want to be a restored heart beating truth and life into the darkness of it all. That requires the workman to have access to my desolation to continually make changes. It requires regular and without thinking reliance. Glad I don’t do it alone, because I cannot. And I know I cannot expect God to just make my world all better without me in the picture. He could, but then I would have missed out on the learning, and the purpose of living that He began in me. I do not ever want to return to the darkness that tried to destroy me before I even met Him. He wins. He has my heart. If only this living sacrifice would learn to stop crawling off the alter, and do as He did. Sweet offerings are not offered in haste or consumed without appreciation. I like the every day is a new day part of being a human. And I really love the every day He is the same part of our God. He loves to be merciful, and He does hold us accountable. And He will always to me be indescribable.

    • Rhonda Sue Davis says

      I want to be famous for failing so well that others cannot help but see Him and hear Him and know Him (me included). The stuff He accomplishes despite our best plans and worst attempts, no one can make that stuff up. Even if we do it all wrong, He has this way of pointing that out and still showing (us) up anyway. So glad for each day, warts and tumors and all.

      Have I used up all my comment nickles for today?

      This has been a long week, and it is only Tuesday.

      • Sarah Wooten says

        Rhonda I have definitely used up my comment nickels.

        I have two more cents.

        Can’t. Not. Share.

        Step away from the idea that changing the world = big or fame.

        The world is changed one relationship at a time. One story. One handshake. One hug.

        It has nothing to do with bigness or fame. This is hard for our egos. Oh well, what isn’t?

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