Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. ~Mark 1:45
During my preteen and teen years, my bedroom walls are plastered with posters of pop music artists whom I adore. Idolize even. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to meet just one of them!
My adolescent fantasies hope, wistfully, that I, too, can one day be as celebrated as they are.
Millions of fans. My photo in every entertainment magazine. Giving concerts around the world. Jet-setting with the stars.
Oh, the glamor! The fortune! Fame’s seductive promise of immortality!
Oh, my naivety . . .
Seeing everything through rose-colored glasses.
Because, fame has a dark side.
Mobbed by fans. Pursued by paparazzi. Exhausting tour schedules. The lurid lure of the party scene.
Every move watched. Each folly noted. Any scrap of dirty laundry considered fair game.
The talk of the town one day. Mocked by the tabloids the next.
In the spotlight. Into rehab.
Owned by the public, a famous person’s hope of any private life is vanquished . . .
~
Fame! I’m going to live forever
Jesus’ fame is spreading throughout Judea. Like wildfire! Everyone wants to meet Him. Touch Him. Be healed by Him.
Suddenly, this obscure carpenter from the insignificant town of Nazareth is a rising star! And, as many times as Jesus withdraws to a quiet place to pray or gather with his chosen disciples, I think a reluctant one. Yet, one who knows in the depths of His soul that His light must shine into the lives of so many if His mission is to be accomplished.
If He is to do the will of the Father.
And, in so doing, become the most famous person in history.
Whose fame does not promise immortality.
It delivers.
~
Will you say this prayer with me today?
Thank you, Father, for the life, the death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Your beloved Son. Because of Him and His sacrifice for us, our sins our forgiven, and we have new and unending life. May our love for You be our only claim to fame. Amen.
The author is Martha Murdy Orlando whose blog Martha’s Daily Devotions is a great resource for Christian reflection. Martha has a great skill of story-telling which she combines with her gift of seeing God in all things to create very meaningful reflections. I’ve interacted with Martha over the past few months and have found her to be very considerate, thoughtful, generous and inspiring. Thank you, Martha for sharing your reflection here today.
May you be inspired – every day!
Lovely post.
Thanks so much, Janaki!
Once again, Martha’s post has blessed me. 🙂
So glad this blessed you, Irene! 🙂
God bless you for this most beautifully written post Martha,and you also Corinne,for bringing it to us.
Yes! So many thanks to Corinne for having me here today. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, Alpana!
Martha, I continue to be in awe at your talent for relating everyday occurrences to Bible verses and stories. I sometimes wish that you would write a book and do that for the entire Bible. I believe I would be the first one in line for a copy. So many places in the Bible, lead to many ways of interpretation. I always seek clarification. Thank you Corinne for showcasing Martha today on your site. Martha, your site is always one of inspiration, and a lot of times, motivational for me.
Thank you so much, Mary, for your oh, so kind words here. I do plan on writing these inspirational devotions for as long as I feel God calling me to do so. Maybe, I will wrap them up in a book! Great suggestion!
Thank you Martha and Corinne for this beautiful post, god bless.
Thank you so much, Sulekha, for stopping by today! So glad you liked the post!
Great post that puts things in true and correct perspective. Lovely!!
Thank you so much, Elizabeth, for stopping by today! So gratified that you enjoyed your time spent here and hope I will see you at Martha’s Daily Devotions in the future.
Martha thank you for the lovely read and Corinne, thank you for having Martha! I loved the juxtaposition of fame and I leave this blog after having said the prayer. 🙂
Bella, I am so glad to see you here and most gratified that you said the prayer along with me and many others. I am so grateful for Corinne for inviting me to be a part of her Everyday Gyaan; what an honor! But, fame is fleeting, is it not? 🙂
What is the allure of fame in this world? There are so many negatives and yet it is on so many wish lists. Jesus shows us how to manage fame (among a few other things!) Thanks for another thoughtful post, Martha.
I think, Lynne, people are attracted to fame in this life because they do not yet comprehend what is promised by Jesus as eternal life in Him. The Lord does show us, again and again, how to manage the spotlight and put it in it’s proper place.
So glad this post moved you to comment!
It’s so lovely to reflect with you here. When I saw the title, I knew it was something famous from way back. I used to watch that on tv.
When we were little, my brother and I would wish we were part of the Britannica. As we grew up, we wished we were known all over the world. We were, in a different way, known but then we hit rock bottom. It was such a humbling experience.
In reflecting, most of the times, God would show me who should increase and who should decrease. It appears that instead of bringing people to Him I draw them to myself.
I pray with you, may our love for You be our only claim for fame. Solo Dio basta.
Thanks beautiful souls for sharing this post.
To tell you how old I am, without actually divulging, I remember when the film, “Fame”, was in the theater!
Although there is nothing wrong with having goals and dreams, it is how we approach them and how we are willing to sacrifice for them that makes all the difference in our perspective of reality. In your sharing here about your brother and you, I think of Paul saying, “When I was a child, I thought like a child.” Our thoughts need to mature and grow along with us.
And, if you are drawing persons unto yourself, you can still show them the way to Him. He is working through you! Praise!
And, yes, may He ever be our only claim to fame!
Thank you, Melissa, for reading, for your faithful responses, for the precious person you are!
Hello.
With the trials & tribulations of life bearing down heavy on our shoulders at times, it’s very easy to forget that life is a gift of love to us & we should treat it with the respect it’s due.
Lovely post, Martha. Thank you.
Thanks Corinne.
Amen and Amen to the thoughts you have raised here.
Joy always,
Susan
Thanks so much for coming by, Susan! Glad you enjoyed the post. 🙂
Blessings!
Very beautiful, touching and inspiring, loved this post !
So glad you stopped by and enjoyed the post, G Angela!
Blessings!
Martha, god bless you. I have always enjoyed you style of narrating things in the most simple and interesting way. This post is no better. You really have the capacity to make the reader go on reading till the end. Great to know you and your blog
Thanks so much for stopping by, Rimly! Thanks so much for your kind compliments here. I’m so glad to know you, too!
Blessings!
Corinne, I didn’t think this sounded like your voice. However, it does sound like Martha! My sister Martha!
Fame. Who needs it? But I do plan on living forever!
Hey, Sis! 🙂 So glad you made it by here. I’m with you about the fame business, but you already know that!
Blessings!
Martha, very lovely. I agree with Corinne you most certainly have a knack for story telling.
Thank you for stopping by, Amy, and for leaving this sweet compliment. It is very much appreciated!
Blessings!
Getting inspired is so important!
Hi, Jodi, and thanks for stopping by today! I’m glad you felt inspired in reading this post. Blessings!
I agree with Mary..the way you can interpet the bible and bring it into todays world…..sometimes i don’t understand the meaning of what I read in the bible..but your stories help me to understand better…Thank you…As always….
So great to see you here, Bonnie!
I’m gratified to know that my stories help you understand the Bible better. That is my desire in writing these devotions, and it’s wonderful to know it’s a help to you and others.
Blessings!
Hi, Martha! ~
Speaking of those teen idol posters, I just heard that Davy Jones from The Monkeys died 🙁
Every time I pass those tabloids in the grocery store I’m so grateful I wasn’t famous in my youth! It was painful and embarrassing enough in private — haha!
Jesus is an excellent role model for handling ‘fame’ and I look to him often for encouragement when I struggle with the demands of the physical world ;-x
Hi, Linda, and thanks so much for stopping by!
Yes, actually, Davy was one of those celebrities on my wall. What a crush I had on him! I am saddened that he has passed at what, nowadays, is such a young age.
And, yes, Jesus is our perfect role model for us in dealing with fame. We are to use our gifts and talents, but give the glory to God.
Blessings to you!
~~~Lovely.
Thank You.
You are most welcome, Kim! Thanks so much for stopping by! Blessings!
Great post Martha! I remember having posters on my wall too..even in my diary! I think famous people have a very difficult time to stay true to themselves!
Thanks so much, Nelieta, for stopping by. 🙂
Yep, you do sound like me! And, I agree, it is difficult for celebrities not to let their fame go to their heads.
Blessings!
In the past I have worked as a primary school teacher and often I would hear the kids say things like: I want to be famous/I want to be celebrity. When I would ask them why they would be famous, what skill would they have, they couldn’t answer. “Just to be famous”. I would have loved to have heard, “I want to be a writer/I want to invent things/I’m doing to discover the cure for cancer.” Hopefully there are great teachers out there that can inspire such things…
Beautiful prayer! Thank you for sharing this with us ; – >
So glad you stopped by, Sylver, and that you especially liked the prayer. It always heartens me to know others are praying with me. 🙂
very nice post!!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Andy! Glad you enjoyed the post and I so appreciate your support always! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, LouLou! The glamor of fame is such a lure, especially for children who don’t see the entire picture. I used to teach middle school and, if it makes you feel better, kids by that age ARE beginning to form ideas of what they will do in life with fame being a consequence of their achievements.
Glad you liked the post!
Thanks so much, Harris, for dropping by. Glad you enjoyed the post! 🙂