Fame’s Destructive Path
It has been a regular occurrence over the years to hear news that another famous person died in tragedy. The reasons they die are often not automobile crashes or cancer, but rather suicide, alcohol abuse, or drug overdose. We see many leave this world far too young. In the movie industry, this includes Marilyn Monroe, Heath Ledger, Dana Plato, Lee Thompson Young, and most recently Hayden Panettiere. In the music world, this includes Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. To escape fame, Jim Morrison, the lead singer of the band “The Doors,” moved to Paris, but while in Paris, he died at the young age of twenty-seven from what many believe (no autopsy was performed) was an accidental heroin overdose.
Then you have those who died before old age who had it all, and their life too ended in tragedy. At forty-two, the “King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis Presley, died from years of prescription drug abuse. At the age of sixty-three, Robin Williams, one of the most famous actors in American history, took his own life. More recently, in 2023, star of the hit show “Friends,” Matthew Perry, died of an accidental overdose. Famous author Ernest Hemingway took his own life at sixty-one.
Then some are obviously miserable, but still living. Tiger Woods, arguably the most famous athlete of the last few decades. In 2009, his multiple affairs were revealed, and his marriage ended in divorce in 2010. In 2017, and in this past year, he was caught driving while intoxicated. Tiger Woods is a sad case of one who has reached the top of the world in fame, finances, and possessions, but is miserable. In 2005, in a 60 Minutes interview, Tom Brady, after winning his third Super Bowl, revealed the deep emptiness that he still felt while reaching what many would call the pinnacle of life. We need to pray for these enormously famous individuals still living that their lives may also not end in tragedy.
Fame’s Emptiness
In Brady’s interview, he revealed that he wished he knew the answer to “full satisfaction”. Scripture gives that answer. Psalm 16 reveals the contrast between one who has the Lord and one who does not. King David wrote, “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply” (Psalm 16:4). Then he writes in the following verse, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup” (Psalm 16:5). Because of this David can say, “Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices” (Psalm 16:9). The Psalm closes by David stating the key to understanding the meaning of life, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). David knew that in the Lord and in Him only is there “fullness of joy” and “pleasures forevermore.”
As we see life play out, the truth of the Word of God rings loud. People who have everything without the Lord find themselves empty. They are experiencing what David wrote three thousand years ago, “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply” (Psalm 16:4). They have all the achievements, all of the money, all of the acclaim, and they’re miserable. They experience this sorrow to the core because they are missing out on the meaning of life. To have life is to know God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. As the apostle John wrote, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). As those created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), we are created to know, love, and enjoy God for all eternity.
The Westminster Catechism got it correct: “The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” When anyone misses this, the end result, no matter how much fame and wealth they’ve achieved, will be misery. The worst result of all is that one who gains everything in this world without Christ as one’s Lord and Savior will spend eternity in hell. Jesus stated this sobering reality in the gospels, “For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9:25).
Fame in the Church
We also see the problems with fame in the church. The celebrity pastor culture more times than not ends in scandal and destruction. For every John MacArthur who stayed faithful to the end, there is a Steve Lawson who permanently disqualifies himself because of an affair. After the death of renowned Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, it was discovered that he was living a double life. Then there are pastors like David Platt who become a big name, but their ministry is full of corruption. Just like the outside culture, celebrity pastors have adoring fans and often function like celebrities. They grow massive egos and insulate themselves from the outside world. In so doing, they become shepherds unlike Jesus, who was humble, approachable, and would talk to anyone (John 4:1-45). Fame, largely speaking, has not been good for pastors who have ascended to those levels.
The Desire for Fame
We live in an age when many people desire to be rich and famous, and one wonders why, given the great difficulty that comes with it and the reality that so many have crashed and burned. Even those who navigate fame in the best way possible often wish that fame had never come to them. This desire to make much of oneself before others (John 12:43) has always been a problem of sinful human nature (Romans 3:23), but it has exponentially increased in the social media age. It used to be that only a very small group of people were famous.
Growing up, the famous people were Hollywood actors, musicians with songs that topped the charts, bestselling authors, professional athletes, high-level politicians, and the richest men in the world like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. But now we live in a time of self-promotion and platform building where people are famous on the internet, but not like in the old days. Social media has created an exhausting effort for people to promote themselves. We have even seen an ugly display of those who will lie and manipulate their viewers in order to gain as much attention from the world as possible. The pursuit of influence for good purposes is not bad (Matthew 5:14-16), but the pursuit of fame to attract admirers, fans, and the lucrative life that comes with it is destructive (1 Timothy 6:9-10).
The Quiet Faithful Life
In a world where many desire fame, Christians should seek to pursue the “peaceful and quiet life” (1 Timothy 2:2), where life is lived with our families, our local church, our local community, and the focus is on blessing those closest to us. The Christian who seeks to glorify God in one’s life should not seek fame, but rather accomplish their purpose. As the apostle Paul wrote, “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). When you look at many of those in church history that we still remember, they did not seek fame, and they were not known everywhere, but they were influential, and their influence continues into the present. God-glorifying work in the past contains such a strong quality that it blesses many long after they’re gone.
Every believer should seek to fulfill one’s own unique ministry that the Lord has planned for His faithful (2 Timothy 4:5). When we do this, we leave it to Him concerning how much influence we will have in the present and whether or not that influence will continue in some measure after we are gone. Then when the believer finishes one’s course (2 Timothy 4:7-8), whether small or large influence, the finish line awaits as the faithful enter the presence of God’s glory forever and hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21, 23)
While we are here on earth, our motto must be that of John the Baptist’s: “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). Those who live this life and don’t chase the emptiness and misery of fame discover the abundant life found now and forever only in Christ. When people realize this, they have found that which is truly life and will live accordingly.
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