A few years ago, I was sitting in on a leader meeting at a camp. During these meetings, the leaders were given a devotional. During this particular devotional, we were being spoken to by the head of the camp. It was one of those big camps where they bring in the Passion City church band and big name preachers--this one was David Platt. I remember the way the leader began that devotional like it was yesterday:
"I hardly feel worthy of talking about the Gospel and the Great Commission when David Platt is here."
Excuse me... what?
It seems like we as a faith are pretty big on putting people up on pedestals. Some people just want to be like David Platt. Some women will watch anything that is starring Candace Cameron. Some girls would do anything to be as wonderful Sadie Robertson. Some people live and die by the actions of Jessa Seewald and Jill Dillard. This is by no means something that just our generation has fallen for. Just ask your grandparents about Billy Graham or Jim Elliot. Even in the Bible, Paul warned against being divided by the Christians we choose to follow:
"What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name... For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." -1 Corinthians 1:12-15, 17
We are followers of Christ and not of Christians. Sure, they are great, but when we are seeking wisdom we need to crack the Bible open far before we think about cracking Radical or Mere Christianity.
Don't get me wrong, it is so refreshing to have strong role models of the faith. (Candace, hit me up!) But what we ought to be looking up to is Christ in celebrities, not the lives they lead. When we get caught up in edifying the total Christian celeb package, we are doing some serious damage to our every aspect of our own lives. Here are four things to remember next time you want to go out buy the 2001-2002 season of Survivor because Elizabeth Hasselbeck was on it:
1. They aren't like us.
The Robertsons aren't like you. I'll give you a minute for your heart rate to settle. Putting so much stock in the lives of Christian celebrities is a terribly dangerous thing to do because they don't live like we do. Guys, John Luke Robertson got married at 19 and went on a two-week honeymoon to Bora Bora and Australia. That's great for him and everything, but the other 99% of us just aren't living that life. And that is okay.
It's a little hard to listen to someone who has a whole style team telling you about being a Proverbs 31 woman without feeling inferior or inadequate. Even Christian celebs who got their fame from ministry aren't living the life most of us are. Of course, we can't all spend a month in Haiti. It isn't our job. It isn't the life we've been called to live, and that is also okay. Which brings me to point two...
2. It's bad for us.
When you spend your life with picture perfect Christians coming through your newsfeed all the time, it's easy to get down on yourself. If you're following a bunch of Christian blogger stay-at-home moms, you're probably going to be a lot worse off. (Hint: no one in the real world has time to doodle their devotional key verse while they sip slow brewed coffee and are all snuggled up in their crisp white comforter.)
3. It's bad for them.
Steve Fee seemed to have it all. He had an amazing Christian music career, a cute family, a beautiful wife, and adoring fans. Another thing Steve had was a secret: he was cheating on his wife. When talking about his adultery, Fee said that when people treat you like you're a rock star, you start to feel like you are one. Sometimes putting people up so high isn't just bad for you. It is bad for them, too. When people keep getting fed that they are awesome, even the humblest of people can fall down. The truth is, even though they are Christian celebs, they are still just human. They still sin just like us.
4. Actually, we aren't that different.
Remember that quote about David Platt and the Great Commission? When we fall in to thinking things like that and saying things like that, we are diminishing the power of the Gospel. We are ALL Christians and we are ALL of one accord. The same Holy Spirit that lived in Paul and lives in Billy Graham lives in you!
The only difference is the lives we are called to live.
Let us not be followers of Francis or of David or of Sadie or of Candace, but of Christ for it was Christ who died for us. It is His fame we need to be proclaiming
