We live in a world obsessed with self. I know it has always been this way, but the problem is perhaps more obvious today than ever. Not only is society continuing to encourage us to be self-centered, but we now have tools with which to promote ourselves twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Social media has exploded over the last few years and is now an integral part of the lives of many.
Younger people seem especially susceptible to this, but no one is immune to the siren call of popularity and self-aggrandizement. This should be particularly distressing to those of us seeking to follow Christ. We understand life is all about Jesus, not ourselves. As I heard Craig Groeschel say recently, “We are called to be faithful, not famous”.
In our narcissistic world, people choosing to live by faith in God can seem few and far between. We live in a society that glamorizes idiocy and where people are famous for being famous. The children of well-to-do parents are elevated to celebrity status regardless of whether they’ve accomplished anything in life. A person’s social status is defined by how many likes they’ve received for the pictures they’ve taken of themselves and posted on Instagram. Everything screams, “Look at me!” Meanwhile, Jesus, the only One truly worthy of our attention is marginalized if not completely forgotten.
Once upon a time, people were consumed with being faithful, not famous. There was a time when Jesus was the center of our communities and homes. I don’t know if we’ll ever return to those days, and certainly, even then the pursuit of Christ was imperfect and fraught with inconsistency and sin. Society has never been perfect and never will be as long as humans are involved. I am not pining for the “good old days” because I know they weren’t necessarily all that good. But I am longing for a turn towards God.
Living life in pursuit of fame or self will not end well. Only a life spent pursuing Jesus provides a happy ending. Without Christ we are doomed, dead, and without hope. It was because of this He came and gave His life for us. Jesus provided a way for salvation. We don’t deserve such an amazing gift and we prove every day how unworthy we are of His love. This is why our entire lives should be spent pointing to Him. We have nothing to offer by ourselves.
The only life that matters to Jesus is one which is faithful, not famous. He wants you. He loves you. Life is found in Him. His is the only “like” that matters. One like is all you need, and it has nothing to do with how you look, what you’ve done, or into what family you were born. You are already accepted. You are already famous in His eyes because He knows you by name. Will you live your life in faithfulness to Him? He deserves it. You owe it to Him. It is all that matters.