As I read through Janalyn’s devotional, one of my favorite worship songs played through my mind. “You are the Lord, the famous one, the famous one, great is your name in all the earth.” God blesses, guides, expands boundaries…for one reason. To make Himself famous. If you’re in ministry receiving accolades, it’s easy to forget that. Praise (to man) is a funny thing–it has a dual effect. It encourages us to keep going, but it also threatens to fan our pride. And we all know what happens to the prideful, right? The Lord opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

Today, Janalyn Voigt, author of the Tales of Faeraven series, reminds us to stay focused on the One who truly is famous, Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. Come back Saturday as I expand on this further and talk about finger-pointing–in a good way. grin.

Fame is a bee

It has a song

It has a sting

Ah, too, it has a wing.

~ Emily Dickinson ~

Honey tastes sweet. When eaten in moderation, it strengthens the body and brightens the eye. However, eating too much honey can bring on a stomach ache. “If you find honey, eat just enough— too much of it, and you will vomit” (Proverbs 25:16 NIV). In the same way, a little public recognition can boost self-confidence and spur productivity, but feasting on fame makes a writer sick.

Given this, is it wrong to want fame? After all, It can enhance a writer’s discoverability, bring new opportunities and expand a reader base. Nothing grows a platform like fame. And did I mention money?

Fame is a lot like popularity in high school, with everyone jostling to get next to the privileged few. In our culture today, we look to the famous as role models, even when their morals are less than exemplary. Unable to bear the weight of fame, their lives often crumble. Even in the church, we find a similar focus on the elite. While it’s not wrong to honor those who lay down their lives to spread the gospel, honoring shouldn’t cross the line into worshiping. We all need heroes, but we shouldn’t have idols.

Fame itself can become an idol. But striving after it is like chasing the wind. The Bible cautions us not to try. “It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor” (Proverbs 25:27 NIV).

What is fame, after all, but the approval of man? The Bible urges us to seek after God, not man. “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psalm 42:1-2 NIV).

It’s not wrong to want influence, which can provide leverage to help us make a difference in the world. But we should examine our motives. Remember that Satan tempted Jesus in the desert with bread, power and position. Fame seems to promise all three (money, influence and status).

Fame, like that fickle bee Emily Dickinson decries, can fly away on a whim. But God never abandons me. How much better it is to focus on the greatness of His name rather than my own.

Dawn Singer:

At a summons, Shae wings through the air to the High Hold of Faeraven, where all is not as it seems. Visions warn her of danger, and a dark soul

touches hers in the night. When she encounters an attractive but disturbing musician, her wayward heart awakens.

But then there’s Kai, a Guardian. Secrets bind him to Shae, and her safety lies at the center of every decision he makes.

On a desperate journey fraught with peril, they battle war-like Garns, poisonous spider-waevens, ferocious raptors and the wraiths of their own regrets. Can they find a way to release the DawnKing — and salvation — into a divided land? And will they learn that sometimes victory only comes through surrender?

Janalyn Voigt creates worlds of beauty and danger in her fiction. She is currently working on her epic fantasy trilogy, Tales of Faeraven, and a full-length western romance. Janalyn’s credits include Focus on the Family, Scripture Press and Pentecostal Evangel. She is a member of ACFW & NCWA.

Visit her online:

Website: Janalyn Voigt

Twitter: @janalynvoigt

Facebook: Janalyn Voigt