That Star Quality

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Have you ever seen a video clip of a celebrity being given their own star on the “Walk of Stars? The celebrity to be honored has achieved some level of distinction. They are recognized by a group as being of “star quality”.  The celebrity in question plants their hand prints into a section of concrete that bears their name on an emblem. This immortalizes the celebrity for all to see. At least until there is no longer any space on the Walk of Stars and their star is removed.

All too often our society fixates on a celebrity. This person may be an actor/actress or someone of notoriety for any number of reasons. The person being idolized is held up on a pedestal for all the world to see. They may be lauded for being very generous in giving of their time or money to charities. Or maybe they accomplished some feat of great daring that none before have accomplished or survived.  In all cases we would do well to remember that when we elevate a real person, we elevate a flawed individual. The Apostle Paul has hit the nail on the head. All have sinned. And all fall short of the Glory of God. All of us can think back to the not too distant past and remember a celebrity, a star if you will, who fell down to earth. It is tragic to watch. And even more tragic to see the widespread disbelief amongst their followers.  When we expect perfection from imperfect beings we are only setting up ourselves and others for disappointment. Knowing, and accepting that Romans 3:23 is 100% accurate, we need to consider where we focus our worship towards. Philippians 3:3 gives us a bit of insight. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. We can look no further that the pedestal of the cross to gain a glimpse at what real star quality is like. Humility, submission to the will of God the Father, love for all mankind are prominently displayed with Christ on the cross. It is a gruesome, but very effective pedestal. And when we remember the sacrifice given, and the forgiveness paid for by Jesus we have a true star to emulate. That is the kind of love we need to have and show. That is the kind of humility we need in our lives. The false stars will continue to fall from glory. The true star, with true star quality is Jesus Christ and He will never fall and He will never fail you.

PRAYER: Father of Grace and Forgiveness, Your Son, our Savior is a source of inspiration for us all. The human stars in our lives are no more perfect than we are. All have sinned and fall short of Your glory O God. Thank You for Your Son and his sacrifice on the cross. His perfect life stands in sharp contrast to ours and offers all true inspiration. Praise be to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen