And, if I become famous, it’s so you can be known. Love and the Outcome.
I don’t believe in fame and fortune unless it is something for the Lord. Listen to the song again, and see for yourself how being famous leads to pride and how pride leads to our downfall.
An example, 2 Chronicles 26:1-23 NIV
[1] Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. [2] He was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors. [3] Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother's name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. [4] He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Amaziah had done. [5] He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success. [6] He went to war against the Philistines and broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh and Ashdod. He then rebuilt towns near Ashdod and elsewhere among the Philistines. [7] God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur Baal and against the Meunites. [8] The Ammonites brought tribute to Uzziah, and his fame spread as far as the border of Egypt, because he had become very powerful. [9] Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate and at the angle of the wall, and he fortified them. [10] He also built towers in the wilderness and dug many cisterns, because he had much livestock in the foothills and in the plain. He had people working his fields and vineyards in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. [11] Uzziah had a well-trained army, ready to go out by divisions according to their numbers as mustered by Jeiel the secretary and Maaseiah the officer under the direction of Hananiah, one of the royal officials. [12] The total number of family leaders over the fighting men was 2,600. [13] Under their command was an army of 307,500 men trained for war, a powerful force to support the king against his enemies. [14] Uzziah provided shields, spears, helmets, coats of armor, bows and slingstones for the entire army. [15] In Jerusalem he made devices invented for use on the towers and on the corner defenses so that soldiers could shoot arrows and hurl large stones from the walls. His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. [16] But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. [17] Azariah the priest with eighty other courageous priests of the Lord followed him in. [18] They confronted King Uzziah and said, "It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God." [19] Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the Lord's temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. [20] When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him. [21] King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house---leprous, and banned from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. [22] The other events of Uzziah's reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. [23] Uzziah rested with his ancestors and was buried near them in a cemetery that belonged to the kings, for people said, "He had leprosy." And Jotham his son succeeded him as king.
Psalm 10:4-18 NIV
[4] In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. [5] His ways are always prosperous; your laws are rejected by him; he sneers at all his enemies. [6] He says to himself, "Nothing will ever shake me." He swears, "No one will ever do me harm." [7] His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue. [8] He lies in wait near the villages; from ambush he murders the innocent. His eyes watch in secret for his victims; [9] like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net. [10] His victims are crushed, they collapse; they fall under his strength. [11] He says to himself, "God will never notice; he covers his face and never sees." [12] Arise, Lord! Lift up your hand, O God. Do not forget the helpless. [13] Why does the wicked man revile God? Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"? [14] But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. [15] Break the arm of the wicked man; call the evildoer to account for his wickedness that would not otherwise be found out. [16] The Lord is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. [17] You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, [18] defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.
Proverbs 16:18-20 NIV
[18] Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. [19] Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. [20] Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
Proverbs 22:4 NIV
[4] Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life.
James 3:13-16 NIV
[13] Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. [14] But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. [15] Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. [16] For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9 NIV
[1] These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, [2] so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. [3] Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. [4] Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. [5] Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. [6] These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. [7] Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [8] Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. [9] Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Exodus 13:1-16 NIV
[1] The Lord said to Moses, [2] "Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal." [3] Then Moses said to the people, "Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. Eat nothing containing yeast. [4] Today, in the month of Aviv, you are leaving. [5] When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites---the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey---you are to observe this ceremony in this month: [6] For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival to the Lord. [7] Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. [8] On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.' [9] This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. [10] You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year. [11] "After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your ancestors, [12] you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. [13] Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons. [14] "In days to come, when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' say to him, 'With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. [15] When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.' [16] And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand."
Deuteronomy 11:13-21 NIV
[13] So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today---to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul--- [14] then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. [15] I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. [16] Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. [17] Then the Lord's anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. [18] Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. [19] Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. [20] Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, [21] so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.
Proverbs 7:1-4 NIV
[1] My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you. [2] Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. [3] Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. [4] Say to wisdom, "You are my sister," and to insight, "You are my relative."
That is what I mean by wisdom versus pride. If we become famous, it is not for the people, it is for Christ, so that he can be known around the world.
Friend, do NOT let fame become a misfortune in your life.
I warn you now.
Blessings!
