The 1972 Winter Olympics were held in Sapporo, Japan. Many Americans noticed that one of the main tourist attractions was a statue honoring Dr. William S. Clark. Dr. Clark was an American professor who helped found Hokkaido University in the late 1800’s. Prominently displayed on his statue are his last words to his students: “Boys, be ambitious!” In fact, that slogan, “Be ambitious” was found all over the town. Unfortunately, the slogan was incomplete. I’ll show you what that is in a minute.
That motto is one our own society would love, isn’t it? The magazine headlines we see as we’re standing in the checkout line at the grocery store show exactly what we are ambitious for. You don’t even need to open them to find out what they think is most important. Those tabloids have one message that comes across loud and clear: There is nothing more important than being good-looking, wealthy, and famous.
A few years ago children in Great Britain were asked to name what they thought were the best things in the world. The top three answers were (in this order): being a celebrity, good-looking, and rich. I am sure that the young people in our country also idolize the same kind of people.
When the cameras are turned off, though, what are our culture’s idols really like? The truth is less than glamorous. Celebrities have a very high rate of divorce, drug addiction, and suicide. A study of their lives shows that, for the most part, the rich and famous are not very happy people. For example, look at this list of famous people who have been so miserable that they have attempted to end their own lives: Halle Berry, Drew Carey, Mike Wallace, Elizabeth Taylor, Drew Barrymore, Gary Coleman, Sammy Davis, Jr., Diana, Princess of Wales, Eminem, Ken Griffey, Jr., Elton John, Ozzy Osbourne, Terrell Owens, Britney Spears, Vanilla Ice, and the list goes on.
When you think about it that way, why do so many people want to be like them?
What would cause wealthy, good-looking celebrities to be so unhappy? They seem to have everything that this world could offer. Ironically, it is the money and fame themselves that contribute to their unhappiness. This is why the Bible gives us this warning, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” (James 5:1, 3). Even when they’ve achieved the very best this world has to offer, there is an inner emptiness inside their hearts. Inside they must be asking themselves, “Is this all there is?” Although we may think they have everything, their own hungry souls are still unsatisfied.
They need Christ. It is so much better, “to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:1).I could fill pages telling of people who’ve given up wealth and fame for Jesus, and who’ve found Him to be all He has promised to be. I, too, have found that personal satisfaction in Him, and so have those in our church family here at Bethel Chapel. It isn’t religion. It’s a relationship with the God who created us, who loves us, and who made a way for us to spend eternity with Him by sending His Son to pay the penalty for our sin on the Cross.
What most people don’t know is that the famous slogan on that statue in Japan is only part of what Professor Clark actually said. His original words were, “Boys, be ambitious for Christ!” Leaving Christ out of that statement makes all the difference in the world because Christ is the only solution to the unhappiness that our sin-filled world causes. “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17).
Being an American Idol–someone whom others worship–will not cure your dissatisfaction with life. In this broken world there is a lot of unhappiness. Many celebrities struggle with depression. Sadly, so many others are miserable because they AREN’T celebrities. There is a solution, though. Fixing your attention on the God who created you will lead you down a path that results in true happiness. “Glory in His holy name; let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad. Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually” (Psalm 105:3-4).
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