I'm sure that by now most of you have seen Miley's new video, but I'm not going to post it. The video isn't really the point of this article anyway - she is. Miley the person. Miley the child of God, created in His image to do good works. And then there's us. The big collective "us" that has turned her into a worldwide celebrity and, for too many, an idol. See, I only mention the video because it's gotten me thinking about who she is and where she's headed (or seems to be headed) and what our responsibility is if she ends up pulling a "Brittany" or a "Lindsey" sometime in the near future.
I once heard a woman, who lives in LA and works in the film industry, speak on the destructive worship of celebrity in our country. Her belief is that we (all of us who make celebrities out of regular people) are somewhat to blame for their downfall. I agree. Especially those of us who call ourselves Christians, because we've been warned and we know better. When God said to have no other gods before Him, He meant it for our own good. When we make gods and idols out of people, we contribute to their destruction as well as our own. Imagine trying to carry the weight of the expectations of millions around on your shoulders everyday. Nobody can handle that burden because we're all a bunch of screw-ups, and it's impossible to please everyone. God's hope for us all is that we use what we've been given to make Him famous - not ourselves or each other.
Some of this comes from my own experience as a theater major in college, when my life's goal was to make it big in Hollywood. From experience I can tell you that fame is a lousy life goal and has destroyed millions more than it has helped. At least half of the people I went to school with, who were pursuing fame alongside me, are dead today - some killed by others and some by their own horrible choices. All fueled by the desperate desire to be known and loved by the world. In Galatians 1:10, Paul says that we can either live for the approval of men or of God, but not both. Once our goal is to please the world we stop being a servant of Jesus.
We also know from what Jesus taught that we will live this life as either a slave to the world or to Him, so if we've chosen to try and win the world, we have by default chosen to be its slave. And where God is a good and loving Master, the world has only our destruction in mind. When you look at it that way it makes perfect sense that Brittany and so many others have fallen so hard. That's what the world does to people.
The question now becomes, how do we stop contributing to the mess and start being a force for good in this world of idols and small gods? We have got to stop worshiping the famous and start praying for them. Understand that Miley is just a young woman caught up in the lies the world feeds all of us, and start begging God for her freedom. He knows her completely and loves Her as deeply as He does all of His kids so let's start acting like family and step up on her behalf. I believe that God is at work in her, but she's in a bigger battle than she probably realizes so let's fight for her when she can't fight for herself. The applause of men is a much more dangerous drug than most people realize, and once someone is addicted to it, it's hard to see the need for rescue.
We might also need to do an inventory of all our stuff to see how deep our worship of people might actually be. Do you have posters all over your room and do your clothes and accessories advertise an obsession with anyone or anything other than the God who deserves all your affections? Do you spend more time praying for celebrities or gossiping about them and stalking them online?
God doesn't have favorites and He doesn't assign value to people according to their talents or their beauty, only people do that. Instead He looks at our hearts. Can you imagine how beautiful it must be to Him when one of His girls battles in prayer for the soul of another who is in trouble?
Comments (18)
I believe as well that
1) Miley's on track to a not-so christly life
2) We make idols out people (celebrities) and while we still love God, we put the "cool" stuff above Him
Posted by Cassie | June 3, 2010 8:58 PM
WOW! I love this perspective. I am going to print this out and have my 13 year old daughter read this. What a challenge this is to us all!
Posted by Wendi | June 3, 2010 10:16 PM
I have been convicted of this for quite some time. We also need to pray for her parents.
We need to pray that all truth be revealed to them and that they will seek wisdom, gain understanding and themselves, repent, and pursue rightousness.
Posted by Kara | June 3, 2010 11:05 PM
WOW! You got even Mom on this one! I agree that we contribute to the destruction of others when we raise them up--even when it is not our intent or we do not realize that we are doing it! I plan on sharing this with my daughter--I pray it will help her in her personal choices on who/why she idolizes someone and how destructive that can be to both parties!! Keep up the good work!
PS: Best line: Once our goal is to please the world we stop being a servant of Jesus.
Posted by Deb | June 4, 2010 8:11 AM
wow thanks this was great
Posted by marlene | June 4, 2010 8:26 AM
Wow! My 9yr. old daughter and I were just talking about her convictions about what she is seeing in Miley this morning and as we talked about this exact subject, we concluded:"Let's pray for her"; then I saw your post and read it to her. You said it so well! Thank you for taking current issues and bring it all back to God's word! It is good for all of us to remember this for ourselves too, not to live our lives to please others, but to please our Father!It reminds us all of the importance of living according to His word, and His warnings for our good and His Glory. Love ya Sis'ta!
Posted by Michelle | June 4, 2010 3:53 PM
Thank you - Very good perspective.
Posted by Karis | June 5, 2010 4:29 PM
WOW! I never thought that we played such a big role in celeberties and the way the act. My Mom was very interested in this amd she really got me into it! I will pray for Miley in general but also all the celeberties out there who need help or may need help in the future. Thanks for such an intreging website!
Posted by Maggie | June 6, 2010 11:21 AM
This is exactly what I needed to hear! Thanks so much. And I definately agree- we should pray for these people rather than worship them!! Gods opinion is what really matters in this word and this article reminded me of that!
Posted by Liz | June 6, 2010 4:42 PM
I love the song "Pedestal" by Barlowgirl. It talks about this so perfectly. Here's the lyrics:
You're the coolest person
That I have ever seen
So perfect with your pretty face
On the TV screen
You're a god I know it
How you stand above them all
You are my perfect person
And I'd hate to see you fall
I want someone to believe in
Yeah well don't we all?
'Cause in this life of imperfection Need someone who won't fall
You got it, you got it, you got it all
Got a magazine today
That was full of you
Shocked to read the words they said
Tell me they're not true
Add you to my fallen list
One more has hit the ground
The fault was mine
Held you too high
Your only way was down
I can't deny this need inside
I have to find the perfect one
But I wonder if behind my need
There might be a reason?
Is my life just one big searching
For the one I can adore?
It never works
And I'm just left here wanting more
Could it be this hunger's there
To drive me to the One
Who's worthy of all worship
Would my searching then be done?
Posted by Bethany | June 6, 2010 8:43 PM
wow I will pray for them!
Posted by katie | June 8, 2010 10:53 AM
I like this article... it made me think.
Posted by Liz | June 9, 2010 4:47 AM
thanks so much for writing this article, i really hope other people see this and realize how she keeps messing up. my favorite part was when you said "Once our goal is to please the world we stop being a servant of Jesus." that is so true. When we start to look for the worlds opinion of us, we lose focus on god, and we start to focus on the way the world thinks of us.Thanks
Posted by Megan | June 15, 2010 2:51 PM
I have been praying for Miley for awhile.
My grandma who is a Christian saw her video and is praying for her.
Posted by Ashley | June 17, 2010 9:15 PM
Wow great way of looking at all at. Thanks so much for writing this :)
Posted by Pearl | June 21, 2010 7:34 PM
I used to like Miley Cyrus a lot but now i am growing more and more aware of how she is changing. I am sad that the 13 year old girl hoping to make her dream come true is a 17 year old pole dancer!!
<3-Carmen.
Posted by Carmen | June 22, 2010 11:43 AM
Wow this is so true and I never relized it but our prais to them is hurting them.Well I used to be a big fan of hers but Im 16 now so Im not really into Hannah Montannah much any more.If we stop praising her and start praying for her maby she will go back to the Lord.
Posted by Sylvia | June 30, 2010 5:31 PM
Altough this article has a VERY good point, i don't think it's fair that as Christians we can say things like this about Miley. God is the only one who knows Miley's heart. I agree, we should pray for her.. but I don't think it's fair for us to judge her in anyway because we don't know what her relationship with Christ is like. We have to remember that we have ALL sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Miley's a 17 year old girl, who makes mistakes just like all of us teenagers. Hers are just more public than most of ours. God loves Miley, just as much as He loves us. Who are we to say that she's going to turn out like Britney Spears? its just not fair.
Posted by Courtney | July 13, 2010 1:30 PM