The Fame Game: Keep Watch
“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever
a man sows, he will also reap. For the one who sows
to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,
but the one who sows to the Spirit will from
the Spirit reap eternal life.”
Gal 6:7-8
St. Augustine reflected on mastering inner peace
and communion with God
and came to a simple conclusion:
“I have learned the secret of interior success
over my fleshly responses to life
and that being my daily
commitment to giving my Spirit permission
to guide my flesh into all things.”
Flesh in this case is linked to those
choices in life that flow from a self oriented nature
in such a way that they drown out the whisper
of God which is constantly calling
us into our highest good & the good of
all concerned.
When our desire for fame exceeds our moral compass
or distracts us from the things that are highly
valuable commodities of the Spirit: love; joy; peace;
patience; kindness; goodness; gentleness & self-control we
render ourselves extremely vulnerable to
the world’s definition of success over Gods.
I speak from my own personal “mini-possessions” as I
have used up, on occasion, my time, talent & energy in the
endless pursuit of the flesh: unbridled ambitions &
worldly position and recognition.
This fame game is like a slippery serpent and will
often slither in our ambitions and motivation under
our conscious radar. We will know it is present
when we begin to put things above God & people.
Exploring the following questions will often
reveal the level at which you are engaged in the fame game:
Am I Ok without this accolade? (Do I feel loved, accepted?
enough?)
How does pursuing this goal make God recognizable in this
world by contributing to the higher good of all concerned?
What is my level of attachment on a scale from 1-10
(1 being not attached at all and 10 being very attached)
to the success of this project?
(Remember, an attachment is an emotional state of
clinging due to the belief that without some thing,
person or situation you can’t be happy).
Does pursuing my goal or desired position take precedence
over prayer/meditation time and service of others?
How high is my irritation level when my plans are thwarted?
Am I putting the success of this project above
humble, kind & integrous responses to people?
Do I feel entitled to “it” (whatever “it” is)?
Am I comparing myself to another human being?
(feeling less than, envious, jealous?)
The most wonderful thing about the fame game is this: as
soon as you realize you are playing it, the light of your
awareness offers you the opportunity to begin again with God
as you recommit to the practice of giving your
Spirit permission to guide your flesh.
Dear God,
Help me to recognize the
interior discomfort when I am sowing to
please my flesh verses my Spirit. Grant me the grace to
flip back into the person you have called
me to be during this earth journey. I
rededicate myself to the daily practice
of pursuing those things that expand your
presence on earth: love; kindness; humility; gentleness and
patience in my words; thoughts; deeds and actions.
May everything I do begin with your
inspiration and continue with your saving help.
Let all my work find it’s origin in you and through
you reach completion.
Because of His Love,
Lauren