Who Deserves the Fame?
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17
Fame comes, and fame goes. If your goal in playing your sport is to get famous, you may want to pause and ask yourself why.
Is your pursuit of fame to gain the admiration and love of the people around you? Is your idea of fame linked to being incredibly wealthy? Hopefully, if you desire fame, it’s because you want to be the best at what you do so that you can help and serve others; that idea of fame will leave a lasting impact on the sport and the people around you.
When your desire is beyond just getting famous but using your platform to help others, you look beyond this world into God’s Kingdom. 1 John 2 makes it pretty clear the difference between loving what the world can offer and what God offers us.
Our actions can have an eternal impact when we look beyond this world. Money will disappear but giving hope to the next generation of athletes is eternal. The cheering will silence, but honoring God through your actions in everything you do will grow the Kingdom. When your body can no longer perform like it once did, you could use your words to bring the Gospel’s Good News to everyone you meet.
Desire fame not for yourself but to make God famous in the hearts and minds of humanity.
- Why do you think our culture is obsessed with fame?
- What are the pros and cons of having this desire?
- How can your actions help God be known to all people?
“God, You are the famous One. Forgive us when we look to the world for admiration and praise. Help us to turn our focus back to You today. If we have any selfish desires surrounding our talents, we pray You will remove them and place the desires of Your heart within ours. Amen.”
