Our culture’s stars are judged by how well they please their audiences. When the pleasing stops, the appreciation stops–scorn may even follow. But for their brief moment on the culture’s stage, they appear as Psalm 73 says. They have no worries, and they seem to be in control and able to mock God and his ways without fear of consequence. Their tweets are valued as if they were some form of enchanted Kool-Aid. But this vision of the prosperity of those who scoff at God is fleeting; it lasts but a moment.
Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin. Psalm 73:18
If you try to understand the “prosperity” of the culture’s stars without an eternal perspective, it will be oppressive. This is a vital truth that you must pass on to your children. The allure of the world loses its attraction as it is displayed in the light of eternity. What appears to be good can be gone in a heart beat.
As your children look at your life and what you value, what is it that they see is good for you? The celebrity culture offers a perspective on goodness. What perspective do you offer?
It is essential that your parenting be based on one solid truth:
The nearness of God is your good!
The world of the celebrity dominates Twitter and social media. As the stars fall. others rise to take their turn. They, too, will appear to have it all together. They too, will be gone in a moment.
Pray that God will give you joy in being near to him. Show your children how much God’s nearness means to you. Don’t mislead them by allowing other things to crowd between you and your God. The worth of your children is not determined by things that can be measured by the world’s standards. Don’t allow the performance of your children to become the barometer of what is good for you. Delight in your children for who they are, not how they perform.
God is your good. Make him the the source of your goodness. This is a precious gift to give to your children.