I saw Stephanie Tanner from Full House on some Where Are They Now type show recently.
Turns out the former child star went on to struggle with serious drug addiction after leaving the show. That’s not uncommon for kid actors. It’s hard to navigate the pressures of growing up, period. It must be nearly impossible to navigate the chaos of growing up in front of the paparazzi or a camera crew. (Although Rev Run’s kids seem pretty down to earth and relatively balanced.)
A friend told me a while back:
“I hope Elevation Church doesn’t end up like one of those Where Are They Now? stories.”
I asked him to clarify.
“Yeah, you know, you guys are really getting a lot of attention at a very young age. Kinda like one of those child stars. I hope it doesn’t spoil you.”
I hope so too. I think about that a lot.
I’m so grateful for the platform God has given us to encourage other churches and pastors all over the world. If something about our journey can accelerate your progress, we’ll gladly give you a lift.
But just because God has given us a platform doesn’t mean we’re stars. In fact, we’re nothing more than the road crew to set the stage for Jesus. He’s the only star in this show.
Every chance I get I challenge our staff and volunteers not to take our platform for granted, or to pervert the purpose of it. We’ve experienced a lot of blessing in a little bit of time. We thank God for it. But we’ve got to be careful of it. Otherwise, our greatest asset will become our greatest liability.
I don’t want to have a few years of good public ministry and wind up in a Where Are They Now? spiral of mediocrity and inertia. By God’s grace, we’ll keep setting the stage for Jesus to act in power and shine in His spotlight.
