Do you want to be a star? Many people strive for stardom. There are musicians, actors, athletes, politicians, business people, and people in other walks of life who want to be stars in their respective fields. Think about the popular TV shows American Idol, America’s Got Talent, The Next Food Network Star, Dancing with the Stars, and many, many more. It seems there’s a never-ending desire for fame, fortune, power and all the privileges that go along with stardom.
Becoming a star in any field takes a lot of hard work and effort. A vocalist must learn to sing, learn how to perform music in a way that is pleasing for the audience. Singing requires lessons and training of the voice. Once accomplished, there are auditions for roles, costumes to purchase, more coaching, and there are rejections along the way. Before becoming the next American Idol, there is a lot of work to do, and yet there are no guarantees. But the allure of stardom draws vast numbers of people to audition.
Think about the athlete who has become a star. They speak of long days of physical training, exercising, and playing the sport. There are injuries to overcome and uniforms to buy.
There is an investment of time and money, usually over the course of years, to become a star in any arena. Children first show an interest in an activity and parents provide opportunities in the form of lessons, classes, teams, etc. As the child grows, so does the experience with more training and honing of their skills. It isn’t until adulthood that most become successful in their endeavors. It’s lifelong learning.
Recently I was struck by the following passage’s wording in the Holman Bible (Philippians 2:13-15):
For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. -Philippians 2:13-14 (Holman)
We can be stars in the world if we are willing to do the work. Just like those mentioned above, it requires a commitment of time, energy, and resources. It’s hard to be a star in the world. It requires us to go against our nature and to be blameless and pure. Are we willing to not grumble or argue? When grumbling and arguing is going on all around us, we are to be different. Fortunately, “God is working in us to will and to work according to His good purpose.” Without His work, we would never be able to become stars! Once we know God and have the Holy Spirit living in us, we are able to begin to become stars. It may take years of practice and mistakes, but as God works in us, we start to shine. His light shines through us as we obey and follow Him.
Let’s encourage each other as we go through this life together to become superstars! It isn’t easy, it may take our whole life, but neither is it easy to become a star in any worldly (temporal) endeavor. The stardom we seek is eternal and God’s word tells us how to achieve it! It’s time to shine.
