15 Minutes of Fame

“Choose a good reputation over great riches; being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold.” (Proverbs 22:1)

Thoughts… If I were writing this Proverb today, I would add fame to the mix alongside riches. Fame and riches are the twin gods at which our culture now bows to pay homage. People want to be rich and famous, and would do just about anything to get both.

Have you noticed how quickly people are to appear on TV news to talk about some unfortunate event that has befallen their family? I was stunned not too long ago when a mom and dad paraded their teenage son in front of the cameras to talk about the many years he had been held hostage by a child molester. Or how about young women who are willing to take their clothes off to get on TV? Do we have a “Miss America” pageant anymore where at least one of the contestants is exposed, no pun intended, for having racy photos circulating on the Internet? What about all the “tell all” books that come out after some aid leaves the service of a well-known politician? And then there are the ubiquitous lawsuits—people suing at the drop of a hat over some slight or offense from which they intend to extort a large sum of money from a perceived cash cow.

It seems that far too many people today are famous for being famous…or famous for being bad, which is perceived as good since the results justifies means.

The Bible says rather than being famous for being wealthy (or being bad or even being famous), we ought to pursue good character, and allow our reputation to grow for that reason alone. God doesn’t care how much money we have or how many people know us. When we stand before God someday—and someday will be sooner than we expect—our lives will be evaluated on the character we forged during our years on earth. If we were known for charity, kindness, generosity, humility, and the like, that, along with love for God will count. Everything else will evaporate in the presence of the One who sees into our lives with utter moral clarity and judges with eternal finality.

As you get older, it is easy to pick on young people and point out all their flaws (which I’ve heard is proof you’ve gotten old), but I am especially alarmed at today’s youth culture and its obsession with fame and wealth. Ask today’s youth what they want to do with their lives, and far too many of them speak of the kinds of things that will bring them celebrity, and all that goes with it, rather than that which will actually add value to and better the world. How sad…and disturbing. And they alone are not to blame; some of that has to fall at the feet of their parents.

I think it is high time that parents once again begin to teach their children that reverence for God, sterling moral character, and sacrifice for the good of humanity rather than fame and wealth are what lead to a good life. Parents need to wean their children off the negative influence of this corrosive media culture—and that will be quite a challenge in this day and age—and begin to pour into their lives the eternal values of the Kingdom rather than the fleeting values of this world.

I am grateful for my own father, who taught me from my earliest years on, values that are best captured by this profound little poem he often quoted,

Tis one life will soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last!

That pretty well sums it up, wouldn’t you say!

Prayer... Lord, I want to keep my eyes on you today. May all the temporal things of this earth fade from view as I look fully into your wonderful face. Help me to expend my life only on those things that will stand for eternity. Give me grace and strength to bring even more fame to your exalted name in all that I do and in everything that I am. Amen.

One More Thing… “The real measure of our wealth is how much we should be worth if we lost our money.” —J. H. Jowett