Superstars Versus Fathers

The Christian Church at large has a lot of superstars. I wish it had a lot of fathers instead.

“What’s the difference?” you may ask. Here’s what I think (and please tell me your thoughts in the comments):

A superstar and a father may have the same level of talent, training, anointing, and opportunity. However, there is a big difference in behavior and heart attitude between the superstar and the father. There’s also a big difference in results.

Heart attitudes and behavior of superstars versus fathers:

• A superstar gathers people around him so they can serve him. A father gathers people around him so he can serve them.
• A superstar elevates himself. A father elevates others.
• A superstar demands respect. A father commands respect.
• A superstar tries to get where they’re going on the backs of others. A father already knows who he is and where God is taking him, so he pushes those with him to higher levels instead.
• A superstar walks in greater publicity. A father walks in greater authority.
• You can tell a superstar when you look at the people around him or her. The superstar will surround herself with either people of lesser talent, or people of great talent but who have supporting roles only. A father, by contrast, surrounds himself with people of all levels of talent, and dedicates himself to giving each of them opportunity to grow.
• A superstar keeps the limelight for himself or herself. A father pushes his sons and daughters forward into the limelight.
• A superstar has no offspring. A father replicates himself.

Results:

• A superstar may have a fabulous career or ministry, but it’s all about them. The attention is on them, the recognition goes to them, and the ministry dies with them.
• A father, on the other hand, may have just as fabulous a career or ministry, but he focuses on the next generation. You can recognize a father by all the sons and daughters that surround him. Those sons and daughters didn’t get there by accident. They got there because the father pulled them up out of nothing and raised them up to BE sons and daughters.
• Since a father dedicates himself to raising up sons and daughters, his ministry continues. A father leaves a legacy.

I’m going to take a stand here and say that being a superstar has no place in the Body of Christ.

Should Christians have superstar-levels of talent, skill, creativity, and anointing?

Absolutely. The same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells in us. The Holy Spirit, God Himself, lives in me and you. It’s the “right-est” thing in the world for Christians to be the absolute best at everything they do. Christians should display phenomenal levels of authority, responsibility, faith, talent, skill, anointing, and creativity.

But it’s the superstar heart attitude that has no place in the Church.

We are a Body. We are the Body of Christ, living and doing business in this world in order to increase His Kingdom on the earth. We need each other. Your skill is not about you. Your name is not about you. Yes, you have dreams. Yes, you are God’s dream. But your gifts and anointing were given you for them.

For a lost and dying world that needs to come to Christ.

For other members of the Body that need to be fathered, trained, and raised up.

For the sake of the Kingdom and government of God, which must always increase.

So look around yourself. Where are your “mini-me”s? Where are the ones that you are pouring your life into so that they can go farther than you can? Where are your sons and daughters? What’s your long-term plan? Who is succeeding you?

If you see your “mini-me”s all around you, great. You’re a father. Thank you for doing this all-important work.

But if you don’t see any sons and daughters…

You might want to ask yourself why.

Be a father. No matter what your age, stage, gender, occupation, or gifting is, make your life and ministry about others.

Use your influence to replicate what God has given you. Pour your life into other people. Shoot people like arrows farther into their destinies than they could ever go without you.

Are you fathering anyone? If so, won’t you start today?