I listen to Christian radio whenever I’m driving our mini-van since Janet has it tuned to a Christian station. Recently, I’ve been hearing this one advertisement whose lingo is, “Be famous for God!” Apparently, it’s a Christian agency recruiting actors, models, singers, entertainers and since it’s being advertised to the Christians, it thought appropriate to have that as their tagline.

It’s such a tempting thought, is it not? “I want to be famous FOR God! I’m a Christian and I want God to be glorified and therefore, I will become famous for the sake of God!” I do not believe there is anything wrong with wanting to be famous for God. The only caveat is how will we know whether we are truly wanting God to glorified or ourselves to be glorified. Perhaps, in wanting to be famous for God, really our desire is to become famous and God is going to help us become it.

For those reasons, I do not like the lingo. Rather, I believe the motto of all Christians should be “Be famous TO God!”

Being famous for God presupposes becoming famous to the people – albeit for the sake of God. However, being famous TO God would have no such presupposition. It is the audience of one. We are looking for approval only from God and God alone. We might be obscure among the people. We might be hated and abandoned by the people. But we are famous with God.

Isn’t that what true Christianity dictates? Isn’t that what John the Baptist meant when he said, “He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30.

I’ve seen plenty of “Christians” become greedy and eventually fall away when they set a goal to be famous FOR God. They never really meant to do it for God. God was a means to an end…

Be famous TO God. Make Him famous!

PH