Mr. Big Stuff! Who Do You Think You Are?

I’ve really got to stop doing this. But it’s so much fun! Pray for me and my exquisitely crappy attitude. ????????

This post is dedicated to all the wonderful men and women whose high opinion of themselves allows them to act like God’s gift to despicable mankind.

We have a religious culture so influenced by the world that the whole Christian celebrity scene is not viewed as abnormal.

Odd and unnatural is the quiet, diminutive monastic hidden away from the public eye who carries the weight of the world on his or her shoulders intentionally secluded so that by battling inner passions a pure heart develops in order for God to be seen. Yeah, those people. They’re the weirdos. No real Christian does that! Besides, it’s prohibited in the Bible, right?

Jesus teaching that “normal” is poverty of spirit, dying to self, humility, mourning, the glory of suffering and struggle, and loving our enemies is viewed as bizarre, too. And He actually lived it! That’s just too much! He was just too quiet, reserved, and thoughtful. That doesn’t work anymore.

Today, if we’re going to reach the world with the Jesus’ message, we need more Christian celebrities. We need the Christian celebrities who seek glory any way they can obtain it so that God can get the glory. Being successful in building a personal empire is a priority because more people will hear the message. It’s necessary to write more songs and perform them where the largest audiences will pay the highest dollar so that more lives will be touched.

Preach sermons and run programs that will meet people’s felt needs so that your ministry will grow bigger and you’ll become more popular so more people will hear the message. Work the system so people will recognize your worth, recommend you to boards, invite you to speak, pay you to travel the world so you can astound the masses.

More mega-churches! More mega-pastors! More mega-ministries! We need more…and bigger! Are we talking ministry here or ego?

It’s Christian celebrities that will change the world for Jesus Christ. If more Hollywood types, more professional sports guys, more musical artists would come to Jesus and be vocal in their faith, we’d win the world. Huh?

Are we a more Christian nation because Mike Pence is VP and the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl? Are more “Christian” movies showing in more AMC Theaters making us more like Christ? Maybe we need more big name people talking about Jesus – more Tim Tebows, Chip and Joanna Gains, Kristin Chenoweths, Robertson families, or PyeongChang Olympians. Please, Elvis, if you’re still alive, help us out! Help us save the world by saving the USA.

Of course, these celebrities are too humble to admit this celebrity-ism has gotten to them. They’re just doing the Lord’s work. They can’t help it if God has “bestowed” upon you such marvelous gifts. They’re just blessed by God. They may be worth $25 million but it’s God who gets the glory.

But, celebrities wouldn’t exist except that superficial Christians put them on pedestals. So, we’re as much to blame as they are. It’s a marketing and consumerist world and Christians are deceived by it. Our own ego beam keeps us from seeing the ego sliver in others.

What we need more of is the attitude Jean Knight has – “Mr. Big Stuff…you’re never gonna get my love.” Listen and take the ego-blinders off.