Allergic to Fame (Friday Devotional)

 

Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom; do not let the mighty boast in their might; do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord.

- Jeremiah 9:23-24

In 1992, you’d have been hard-pressed to find a bigger star than Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. The release of his band’s album Nevermind had, suddenly and with little warning, ushered in a sea change in popular music and made him a household name. Not only was Cobain’s music at the top of the charts, but the singer’s looks, style, and personal life were a daily source of fascination for tabloids, entertainment media, and fans alike.

He hated it. By all public and private accounts, Cobain’s newfound fame was both an irritation and a burden, and the media’s insistence on declaring him “the voice of a generation” was bewildering. Cobain has always harbored ambitions of becoming a rock star, but the core of that dream had been for his musical talent to be recognized—the celebrity that came with it was abhorrent to him. He wanted people to listen to his music, but he wasn’t all that interested in being famous.

No one familiar with the late rock star would call Kurt Cobain an example for believers to follow, but there’s something to learn from his allergy to personal fame. In both the Old and New Testaments, servants of God declared that any ability they had came from God, that he was the source and the reason for any good they accomplished. They were uninterested in the spotlight, always pointing it to the God they worshipped. I will boast in the Lord, they declared, not in myself.

In our age of social media and personal brands, that kind of attitude can feel foreign to us. But for believers, there is wisdom in remembering that the spotlight should always be on the Lord, not on us. We are called to be servants, not stars, humbly proclaiming the gospel: that Jesus saves, and we are but sinners saved by his grace.

Rick Warren memorably began his bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life by stating, “It’s not about you.” It’s a message we’re still learning 20 years after that book’s publication, 30 years after Kurt Cobain’s stardom, and 2000 years after Paul echoed Jeremiah, saying “I will boast in the Lord.” May you hear it afresh today—may your desire be for everyone to hear the gospel through you, and for all the fame to be the Lord’s.