Fame

Remember my name. Fame!
I'm gonna live forever
I'm gonna learn how to fly--high!

I feel it comin' together
People will see me and cry. Fame!
I'm gonna make it to heaven
Light up the sky like a flame. Fame!
I'm gonna live forever
Baby, remember my name

Yesterday while I was working out at Curves I heard this song and even though I have heard it probably hundreds of times in my life the words really hit me. "I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna make it to heaven..." All words meant to pump up the person who listens to it. The person singing this song is wishing to be remembered - and it is all going to come by fame.

So then as is typical of my nature I started thinking about fame. Famous people - like Abraham Lincoln or Coby Bryant or Madam Curie or Ben Roethlisberger or Al Capone, all famous people all people who when their names are mentioned they are remembered. Some for good things - some for not so good.

Why is it that we strive so to be remembered? Is it because we want to give meaning to this brief period of our eternity that is spent here on earth? If we are not remembered does that mean that nothing we did was worth anything? Or is it just that we have put way too much stock in what others think of us? I know for me personally, the latter is the truth. I have spent way too much time worrying about what people may say or think about me. If I spent even 1/10th of the amount of time thinking about what God thinks of me I would find my time better spent.

In reality people don't think too much about us. Oh maybe our loved ones do and of course there are very dear friends who think of us at random times during the day but the reality is that people just don't spend that much time thinking about each other. They spend a lot more time thinking about themselves. We become so self-absorbed and jockeying for position whether it be in our work world, our church world or even in our homes. We want to be the best, the prettiest, the smartest, the funniest and on and on the list goes. But does anybody really care?

God's word speaks to us about having our hearts and minds consumed with the things of this world. In I John the apostle talks of how we are to love not the world for when we do the love of the Father is not in us. We also are told that we should not show partiality to those that we think can do the most for us. We are to treat each person with equality. And that includes even ourselves. That means that when we are tempted to put ourselves first and trample someone else on the way up - that we need to recognize the sin of idolatry and put an end to it.

Fame is fleeting. Maybe in this life I will never be known for anything. Maybe people will not remember my name. Maybe that is a good thing. All I know for certain is that my destiny is in God's hands. And I choose to surrender all the acolades of this life for a crown when I see Jesus. I want to be able to lay a crown at the feet of my Savior and say "Thank you, Dear Lord." This can only be accomplished by putting myself behind others. Crucifying the flesh that threatens to be my undoing.

Rather than singing the words to "Fame" in the days and weeks to come I pray that the words of this old hymn will be the theme of my life.

Oh! to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Refrain:
Oh! to be like Thee, oh! to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
Oh! to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand’ring sinner to find.
Oh! to be like Thee, lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer, others to save.
Oh! to be like Thee, Lord, I am coming,
Now to receive th’ anointing divine;
All that I am and have I am bringing,
Lord, from this moment all shall be Thine.
Oh! to be like Thee, while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love,
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.