Fame - A Thing to Be Envied?

"I wish I were famous..." How many times do we hear those words from others or even think them ourselves? I was contemplating fame today, and, once I had dissected the idea in my mind, began wondering why it is such an enviable thing in modern days. To begin to illustrate my thought process, let's ask the question: what does it essentially mean to be "famous"? Everyone knows your name, everyone wants your autograph, paparazzi follows your every move, your face is on major magazine covers, etc... That is typically what we think of when we think of someone who is "famous". Now, let's ask ourselves the question: what do we actually gain by people knowing our name, who we are, what we look like? To be honest, how many of us actually know the celebrities we hear so much about? Certainly, we may know where they live, their favorite coffee shop, their favorite color, their fashion statements, etc; but how many of us truly know them? Very few of us could claim that privilege. Why is that? Because, when you become famous and your name and personality become well-known, who you truly are is not carried through with the picture and the signature. So what is gained by being "famous"? You don't automatically get any more true friends in your fans, more people probably don't truly love you...what do you gain? I think the truth is that the concept of being famous indulges and flatters our natural, fallen, conceited, swollen, and self-centered view of ourselves. Before we are saved and transformed by the Holy Spirit, we are selfish beings to the core. The concept of people knowing who we are, "loving" us, desiring our picture and signature...it fits right into our self-centered agenda, doesn't it? It flatters our vanity and pride. It gives us a sense that we are someone worth admiring, and when it comes right down to it, worshipping. That is what it works down to, isn't it? Worship. This recalls to my mind a line from "Wives and Daughters". One of the main characters, Cynthia Kirkpatrick, says to her step-father, Mr. Gibson, "You see, Mr. Gibson, I will always want admiration...and, and worship...and men's good opinion..." This is statement proves to be very revealing and illustrative of man's natural heart, doesn't it? As depraved and sinful human beings, our hearts desire worship and we are prone to love ourselves most of all. If this was not the case, why would we be instructed in the Bible to love our neighbors as we love ourselves? So, going back to the original idea of fame, while there is nothing wrong with fame itself or being famous, when we start longing to be famous, we have to stop and wonder where that desire originates. Is it possible that we simply want people to look at us, and envy us, "love" us, and even worship us? Something to consider...