When Celebrities Melt Down
Hardly a week goes by that we don't hear about another celebrity getting in trouble with the law or making an embarrassing statement in public.Some might argue that the percentage of celebrities messing up is no higher than that of the general population, but it only seems so because they get national news coverage, while the average person does not.
Still, it's baffling to the rest of us. We see people who have no money worries, who are idolized by millions of fans, and who seem to be on top of the world, making major league mistakes.
We wonder why they let alcohol or drugs ruin their lives. We think that if we were in their position, we'd behave more responsibly.
Exploding the Money Myth
Most of us, even Christians, still believe the myth that if we had millions of dollars, all our problems would simply go away. We look at our mortgage, car payment, utility bills, insurance, and other expenses and daydream about how wonderful it would be to be rich.Celebrities don't have those mundane worries any more, yet something else is eating at them—something so deep that even millions of dollars can't solve it.
It eats at all of us. It's a longing we're unable to articulate, until we stop looking for quick fixes and start looking at God. He has the answer because he implanted the question in us in the first place.
When Jesus Christ said, "I am the way and the truth and the life," (John 14:6) he gave us that answer, yet so many of us are still looking somewhere else.
The Celebrity in All of Us
In our own little ways, we're all guilty of latching on to someone or something and trying to find our worth in it. We don't have wealth or fame, but we put our trust in something equally as impermanent.Maybe it's our job. Maybe it's our impressive possessions. Maybe it's some talent or quality that sets us apart from everyone else. We want to feel in control of our life, and we gravitate toward things that promise to give us that sense of control.
When that person or thing disappears or fails us, we too are in danger of melting down.
Disillusionment gives us two choices: We can self-destruct, and that seems the easier way. There's an aspect of self-punishment to it, and we feel so bad that punishment seems appropriate.
The other choice is to turn to the One who can restore us. God offers not punishment, but forgiveness and healing. His rehabilitation of us, done out of love and not money, is complete and lasting, but it's an ongoing program that calls us to follow his counsel faithfully, for the rest of our life.
The Formula for Inner Peace
Millionaire celebrity or minimum wage laborer, we're all searching for a rightness that will let us sleep at night. We want to look in the mirror and be content with who we see. We want to replace that gnawing emptiness with calmness and inner peace.In his book, The Sensation of Being Somebody, Maurice E. Wagner gives that inner peace formula:
God + Me = a Whole Person
Wagner says, "We can tell ourselves, 'I know who I am. I belong to Jesus. What others think of me does not make me a person; I am a person because God loves me and has accepted me.'"
God's acceptance of you comes when you are born again. You become his adopted son or daughter, and at that moment, you become a whole person.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," Jesus says. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)
That's what we all need—rest for our souls. Christ's rest for the soul is available to all of us, celebrities or not.
Also from Jack Zavada:
• Time to Take Out the Trash
• Lifestyles of the Poor and Unknown
• A Message Meant for Only One Person
• Mathematical Proof of God?
• How to Solve Your 'Stuff' Problem
• The Lessons From Virginia Tech
• What Did Lazarus See?
Jack Zavada, a career writer and guest contributor for About.com, is host to a Christian Web site for singles. Never married, Jack feels that the hard-won lessons he has learned may help other Christian singles make sense of their lives. His articles and ebooks offer great hope and encouragement. To contact him or for more information, visit Jack's Bio Page.
