How to Be a Good Christian While Becoming Famous

If you plan on becoming famous, there are some things you should know and there are some precautions you should take before you become famous and even more while you become famous.  These precautions will help you to live for Christ and to avoid backsliding, thus helping you to keep in the faith and helping you to protect your public image while you rise in the ranks of fame. 

By the way, even if you don't care one way or another about becoming famous, these are good tips for anyone.

1.  Don't make fame your ultimate goal.

Gollum from the J.R. Tolkien's, "The Lord of the Rings."  Gollum was normal Hobbit who became so obsessed with a certain ring that he became a pitiful and wasted creature thinking only of obtaining the ring he called, "My precious."  His obsession with the ring ruined him as does the obsession many people have over fame.

Your goal should not to be famous just to be famous.  If fame is your primary goal, there will be several consequences that you will probably face.

First, you will sell out certain values and convictions you hold dear today.  You think you would never do that, but you will.  Jesus said no one can serve two masters ... you cannot serve God and money.  In a real way serving fame is like serving money.  If you want to serve God, there will be times that you will probably have to make sacrifices that may hinder your career goals. 

Second, if fame is your ultimate goal, you will be overlooking the best and most enjoyable part of your life.  The best part of fame is not always fame itself (which is usually temporary) but the journey you have along the way.  Those small roles and the people you meet along the way can be exciting and fun for those who learn to appreciate each day.   The best time of your life may be under-appreciated because you focus too much on the future, despising the little things each day brings.

Your goal should be to be as good in your craft as you can be.  There is an expression that is attributed to both Arnold Palmer and Gary Player that states, "The more I practice the luckier I get."

To become famous takes a lot of what the world calls luck.  Very few people are assured fame in this life and it seems to be close to impossible to be able to say what will make one person famous and another not.  Many good bands are out there, but only a few will break through to become international stars.  What pushes those few bands into fame is usually sheer luck - meeting the right people at the right time.  But having said that, I will add that the better you are at your craft, the better your chances to discover that luck is on your side.

You will also find that most famous people have moments in the spot light and the spot light dims quickly, and that brings the next lesson you will face when you become famous.

2.  Do not grasp fame and live in fear of losing it.

Jesus was the ultimate example of letting go of clout so others could have life.  The Bible says that he did not grasp at his God-ness but gave it up, becoming a man (Philippians 2).   King Saul grasped to keep his position for his offspring and in doing so he lost everything as well as his favor with God.  He became a mad man bent on destroying other people he feared might take his position away.

This happens in businesses and in most jobs.  Protecting their positions, people turn on others, take credit for other people's ideas, remove other people, lie, cheat, and steal.

3.  Find ways to worship.

When you become famous, you will probably find it very hard to get to church on the weekends.  Your busy schedule will take every ounce of time away from you, tossing you into crowds and people of all sorts who will look to you and want to be near you - not because you are so awesome, but because you are famous (this can be disappointing, because if you become incredibly famous, your new friends will probably be more obsessed with your fame and clout than they will be about you as a person).  Because your schedule will be so crazy, when you will have any time off, you will most likely rather crash somewhere on a couch or a bed than go to a church where there are a lot more people to deal with.

Prepare yourself for this and have a church you can visit when possible.  If you go to a large church that has multiple services, there may be more services on Saturday and Sunday, and you will be able to find a more convenient time for your schedule.  There are also church services online which is another way to get something while you are traveling.  The key is this:  Do not let yourself go spiritually.  Find ways to learn more about the Bible, to pray with other Christians, and to experience corporate worship in some way.

3.  Find time for personal devotions.

I don't really buy that people don't have time for devotions.  People of all types of jobs feel this way, even though they can find time to read a book, watch TV, sit on the computer, play video games, or whatnot.  No matter how busy your schedule will be and no matter what job you have, find 20 minutes a day (more for some) for prayer and reading Bible.   Better yet, find a Christian in your everyday life with whom you can share 20 minutes a day reading the Bible and praying.

4. Don't let temptation win.

There are a lot of temptations for anyone in any life, but in the celebrity world, I think there are more.  You may be offered drugs, sex, or any amount of other temptations that face people of all kinds.  Duh!  But there seems to be one major difference.  As you rise in the celebrity world, these things will help you to step temporarily away from the craziness of the world in which you will enter...and they will be endless...and they will be abundant.

Right now you think you will be able to handle all of this, but when the time comes, you will find that your personal convictions and morals will change to serve a different set of rules.

To prepare yourself properly, write out rules for yourself before all the temptations come.  Sit down and write out your own personal code of conduct.  Write things such as:
a.  I will not be alone with the member of the opposite sex (except family).
b.  I will continue to tithe to my church.
c.  I will not ever take drugs or drink more than one drink.
d.  I will not take more prescription drugs than absolutely necessary.
e.  I will be nice to people around me, no matter who they are.
f.  I will never give the finger to the paparazzi.

I think you get the picture.  Rules help us a lot in life and will help you in your future.

5.  Don't let your peers redefine your morals.

You may think that some people have no morals, but in fact, they do have a lot of morals; but they may not be the same morals you value now.  Being around nice people with a different set of moral will rub off on you for good and for bad - this is true in anywhere, but more so in the world of fame. 

You will have one big problem working against you when it comes to morals, and it has to do with you - not other people.  In all likelihood, you think you are and will always be a lot more moral than you really are.  It is a cold hard reality wake-up for some people how easily they fall into temptation - sexual or other - far easier than they ever thought they would - too easily.  If you do not accept this, you are a set up for disaster.  The Bible rightly says, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12)  You will learn in life that given the right circumstance, you are far more capable of doing bad things than you think.

For some people, falling into temptation is a drastic move they didn't expect.  Others slide into it over many months or years of going down a slow slope of excuses, justifications and self-denials.  Both ways end in the same pit.

To avoid failure in temptations, write a personal code of conduct as mentioned above.  Revisit it from time to time and see where things are changing.


6.   Watch out for and understand entitlement.

Part of the allure of fame is the freedoms from constraints that come with fame.  If you become famous enough, you will have more money, many more friends (you will wonder why they are your friends - is it only the fame?), and many more freedoms.  You will have less constraints holding you back from doing anything you want.

This will be the avenue to some of your greatest problems.  As people around you approve of anything you do, you will feel more and more entitled to whatever you feel you need or want.  This is a big reason some celebrities go wild and why many burn out, crash, die, or break down.

Others will not give you the constraints you need to keep you from self destruction, so you will have to build your own constraints.  If you do not, you will foolishly fall into the same trap so many others have before you.  The fun, the excitement, and the craziness of the unconstrained life will be awesome at first, but in time, like so many famous people before you, you will be like the prodigal son wallowing in the pigs' pen.

Writing your own code of conduct before all this happens will help you to curb your enthusiasm over so much freedom.

7. Don't give the media your bad side.

We all make mistakes, and you will too.  When you will become famous, your mistakes will be food for the media.  Media and the public will love to see you screw up.  Justin Bieber and his dad may be a mess right now, but the worse he gets, the more publicity he gets.  Paparazzi love his screw ups - when he urinates on a public wall, when he throws things at his neighbor, when he smokes pot in his private jet, when he sleeps with models, and when he messes things up with his on again off again girlfriend.  Media loves it and so does the public who read the magazines and websites.

When you screw up when you are famous...the media will love it, the world will love it, and your fans will even love it.  So if you want to avoid the public embarrassment, write up a code of conduct which will include a section on your public image, and how to avoid getting caught (preferably by not doing anything that will embarrass you).  I would write a bullet point something like:  "I will not do anything I would not want to be made public; and in the case where I fail, I will the needed steps to make things right." 

8.  Use the media to define your image.

It is wise for you to ask a lot of questions about your public image.  Media will either create it for you (not good) or you can help create your own for the media.  Although the media was not always friendly to Billy Graham, he helped create the image he wanted them to promote.  In other words, learn how to use the media for designing your own image and don't let them completely define it for you.  Of course, you will not ever be able to control the media entirely, but you will be able to use the media to a great degree.

To learn how to use media, search online and find a book or two.  Talk to your publicist and get answers on how to do this.  The Bible says that there is wisdom with many counselors.  Find knowledgeable and experienced people who can help you create your own image.

Part of your image will be created by what you now put into Facebook, Twitter and other online websites.  Be aware that what you put up innocently among a few friends may easily become bigger than you ever imagined.  Good workers have lost jobs because of what they have posted online.  What may seem harmless fun now may haunt you in the future.  Be very careful about what you post, especially pictures and what you say about others.

Finally, as you work on your public image - find ways to bring Christ into it.  


CONCLUSION

The best way to prepare for fame is to build good boundaries now.  Create a code of conduct for yourself that you will live by and hold to for the future.  Revisit that code regularly to make sure you are not sliding downward without knowing it.

I cannot emphasize enough that you cannot and should not trust your own feelings that tell you that you will have no problem doing the right thing when the time comes.  This feeling is the set up needed to lure you into temptations and spiritual failure.  Create your code of conduct!