I don’t think I realized that the cost of fame is that it’s open season on every moment of your life. Julia Roberts

This year Taylor Swift costumes are one of the most popular Halloween costumes. And if you want to purchase a “Swiftie” a gift for Christmas, Amazon has a long list of popular products. You can buy an Eras Tour Tee, Eras Garden Poster, All Too Well Keychain, Getaway Car Plate Cover, Reputation Necklace, Meet Me at Midnight Slippers and Friendship Bracelets. Taylor Swift is currently so popular that for several months political gurus have been talking about the possibility that her endorsement of a candidate could swing this year’s Presidential Election. 

In full disclosure, I liked her early music. But today, I truly feel sorry for her. She’s reached the top and I know what’s coming. It always does – the fall from fame. No doubt he personally understood it, but General George Patton once shared about fame and its brevity: For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade…The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.

Just 30 years ago, some of the top musicians were Mariah Carey, Seal, Tori Amos and Beck. It’s been a long time since any of them had a hit. Ask a teen who they are, and you’ll probably get a blank stare. Fame is fleeting. 

Many individuals long to be famous, so they actively pursue it whether it’s in music, sports, or the media…even many Christians. God’s Word  warns us: All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls (1 Peter 1:24). It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory (Proverbs 25:27). Jesus’ warning must catch our attention: What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? (Mark 8:36). 

Fame isn’t wrong if it’s come to a person honestly and the individual hasn’t compromised their moral integrity. The Lord Jesus was famous in His own day. On one occasion, the Bible relates, “the crowds almost crushed Him” (Luke 8:42). We put ourselves though in a spiritually dangerous position when we make fame the passion of our life. 

First, you’ll almost certainly be disappointed. For every person who becomes a celebrity there are thousands who fail to reach that goal. Second, today’s celebrity is quickly forgotten. Fans are fickle. Popularity has a short shelf life. 

More than that, fame won’t bring lasting happiness or fulfillment. Celebrity news overflows with stories of the rich and famous whose marriage failed, ended up addicts, or who committed suicide.

Have you ever seen a sink hole? Cars can be parked on the street day after day, and everything appears normal. Then one day the asphalt caves in and vehicles disappear into a gigantic hole. Everyone says, “that hole came out of nowhere.” But they’re wrong. The hole appears suddenly, but the process that led to it has gone on for years. The underground erosion was invisible, but it was there all along. In the same way when a celebrity does something terrible, it appears to have come “out of the blue.” It hasn’t. It’s the cumulative product of years of moral erosion.

Sink holes remind us that something can look good on the outside, when underneath major problems have been going on for years. Disaster is about to happen. Our lives are affected by little choices, which have cumulative effects that can result in either moral strength or moral disaster.

A celebrity is known for what he/she does in one area of life, while God looks at who we are in all areas of our lives. People will bow down before the king even when he’s a dud, because he’s the king. But God is never fooled. God can’t be conned. He sees us at our very worst, and yet He still loves us. If everyone else thinks you’re a winner but you’re not right with God, you’re a loser. God is never fooled by our press clippings.

When the wife of a successful athlete and businessman died, he said, “All my life I’ve been able to get what I wanted but this morning I only wanted one thing, and that was to bring her back to life, but I couldn’t.” 

One day you think you’re in charge but the next thing you know you’re injured or traded or cut or your mom gets cancer, or your baby is very ill. Suddenly you’re reminded that you’re not in the driver’s seat, God is and He’s calling the shots. 

We need this warning. The more famous someone is the harder it becomes to cultivate and retain virtue. The bigger your image, the more it tends to eclipse your character. Instead of building character, some people just build image. A celebrity is known for what he does in one or two areas of life, God looks at who we are in all areas of our life. You’ll have a fan base while you’re popular. It all looks great on the outside. If it’s a façade, God knows the truth. Galatians 6:7 warns: Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

As Christ-followers, we need to be wise investors. If we’re wise, we’ll seek to be known where it matters – in God’s eyes. For that to happen you must put the Lord Jesus first in your life and seek His will for today and for your future. God knows all about you. He made you and He loves you. He knows what’s best for you. Make it your goal to seek His will for your life each day. The best way to know His will is to consistently read His instructions in the Bible. See God’s Word as your GPS for each day. 

Refuse to believe the lie that happiness comes from fame or fortune. And joy is so much better than happiness. It only comes from God. God will pour it out on you as you put Christ at the center of your life. Jesus’ promise is true: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).

The clock is ticking on Taylor Swift. All too soon, she’ll be a “has-been.” That should make all of us feel sorry for her. If you live for Jesus, your life will count not just for this fickle and temporal world but for all eternity!