Is it wrong to want to be famous?

"They loved human praise more than the praise of God." —John. 12:43 (NLT)

Have you ever imagined yourself standing on a huge stage before a cheering audience? Or maybe as a content creator with millions of followers, merch, and a shiny YouTube Play Button? What about all those Christian celebrities with their huge platforms? Is their fame biblical? Is it wrong to want to be famous?

God's Glory vs. Personal Fame

"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." —1 Corinthians 10:31 (NLT)

It's normal to want to be known—whether in the world or just within our own communities. Our desires to be understood and listened to is an innate quality of being human.

When we look at the people who ARE well-known, they seem to have everything—big houses, expensive cars, designer clothes, the latest tech, and millions of dedicated admirers. We may find ourselves jealous and wondering if we could ever live that life.

For those who call themselves Christians, they may justify their desires of fame by convincing themselves that they're going to use their power to bring glory to God. Such an attitude must be examined closely, because we can be really good at lying to ourselves.

Where is our motivation for fame truly coming from? Whose glory are we really chasing? Whose name and face do we truly want up in lights? One of the biggest hallmarks of a follower of Christ is humility, and it's hard to be a famous superstar AND humble (Philippians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

Jesus Rejected His Call to Fame

"The one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him." —John 8:29 (NLT)

In John 6, we discover Jesus doing tons of miracles, including healing the sick and feeing 5,000 people from a boy's meager lunch. He could see the people were getting riled up. They loved Him, revered Him, and wanted to make Him their king—by force if necessary! They were ready to place Jesus on a pedestal and become His adoring fans, but what did Jesus do? He left!

Jesus had a perfect opportunity to claim fame and spread His teaching to an even wider audience, but instead of allowing Himself to be exalted, He went off to be alone on a mountainside (John 6:15). He wasn't looking for fame, fortune, and earthly power.

Maybe if Jesus had accepted the kingship He was being offered, then more people would have heard His message, bringing even more glory to the Father. From our fallen, earthly perspective, this reasoning makes total sense, right? But Jesus knew that attaining this kind of power was not His Father’s plan for Him.

Jesus came to earth to do the Father’s will: to die for our sins and give eternal life to those who believed in Him (John 3:16; John 4:34; Luke 22:42). The goal was never fame. Jesus plainly said, "I am not seeking glory for myself" (John 8:50). Instead, His goal was to bring glory to God the Father (John 8:29). If Jesus sought glory for God over His own, we also should do the same.

Is being famous a sin?

Once again, it's all about motivations in the heart. If a famous Christian speaker, pastor, or singer has pure motivations in what they do and their true desire is to bring glory to God, then their celebrity status is not a sin. But if, deep down, what they're really after is fortune and glory for themselves or they're pretending to be Christians for profit, then yes, that IS sin.

Proverbs 16:2 tells us, “All a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” God knows a person's true motives no matter how much they lie to themselves.

Christian Impact: Celebrities vs. Normies

Christian celebrities sometimes appear to be making a bigger impact for Christ than an "unknown" person could. With their enormous social media platforms and gazillions of fans, are they really more effective than a "normal" Christian who serves in the background at their local church? The answer is no. The Bible gives us multiple examples of how a seemingly "small" offering can be seen as extremely valuable by God (Matthew 17:20; Mark 12:41-44).

Sure, there are people glorify God by using their celebrity platforms, but there are many more who glorify god in their "normal" lives. Neither way is better than the other because God sees any effort with godly motivation as imperative and important (Matthew 25:14-30). God has plans for some Christians to serve Him in ways that will be widely known, and He has plans for some Christians to serve Him ways that may never be widely recognized.

God Uses the Ordinary & the Broken

God can use the most "ordinary" life to bring Him glory (1 Corinthians 1:27-28). Think about Joseph's story in the Bible: youngest son, voted most-likely to remain a shepherd forever—a "dreamer" whose brothers sold him into slavery but only after trying to kill him (Genesis 37:18-36). Yet God chose Joseph to do great things (1 Samuel 16:7-13).

Our loving God chooses normal, broken people like you and me to accomplish His will. With God, we can complete eternal work that goes beyond this world—not for our glory but for His (1 Corinthians 1:29).

Is it sinful to want to be famous?

"People who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction." —1 Timothy 6:9 (NLT)

No, it's not sinful to want to be famous, but fame and wealth do come with a lot more challenging temptations than "normal" life allows. Practicing self-control over thoughts, words, and actions is going to be even more important for someone in the spotlight and under the scrutinty of a watching world (Philippians 2:14-16).

Honestly, it's hard to imagine wanting fame and celebrity apart from the destructive noose of self-centeredness (1 Timothy 6:9). Check your motivations if you're fantasizing about fame. If your the desire of your heart is to bring glory to yourself rather than God, then that is sinful. If it's social media follwers you want or wealth or possessions or power? Well, friends, this requires some readjustment of priorities.

Famous in God's Time

"Humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor." —1 Peter 5:6

If becoming famous is God’s plan for you, then it will happen. But a life of celebrity comes with many struggles and difficulties for a Christian. Many celebrities report that being famous isn't at all what it seems. Increased temptations, strained relationships, compromised values—all of these make life very challenging for a Christ follower.

Unlike being famous for a short time in our lives, following God has lasting impact and eternal value (Ephesians 6:8). Regardless of our celebrity status (or lack thereof), we can choose to serve God and bring Him glory with our lives. God has equipped each of us with unique skills and abilities to serve Him (1 Corinthians 12:5-6). May we always choose to glorify God in all we do—and not ourselves.

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• What does it mean to glorify God?
• How can I discover God's purpose for my life?
• How can I know God's will for my life?
• Are the desires of my heart from myself or God?
• What does it mean to be in the world and not of the world?
• How should Christians respond to celebrities?
• Is it wrong to be obsessed with a celebrity?
• Should Christians use social media?
• What does the Bible say about jealousy?
• Why is God a jealous God?
• What does the Bible say about humility?
• How can I be more humble?
• Are the desires of my heart from myself or from God?
• How can I tell what my spiritual gifts are?