“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Julie asked her teenage friends. The answers were immediate: “I want to be an actress… I want to be a millionaire…I want to be a pop artist… I’m moving out of this little town to the city.” Each of them expressed their desire to finally live a life that was in some way more remarkable than the one they now lived. Life is a gift. Living a good life takes a great deal of intentional effort. Living a remarkable life is a dream of many and an ideal others dare not hope for. Shakespeare said, “Nothing is so common as to want to be remarkable.”
In the course of human history there are some names that are remarkable. Names like Noah, Abraham, Moses and David for example. What made their lives remarkable? How did their lives end up being so influential? Was it what the things our minds typically think of that made them a success?
So, what makes a life truly remarkable? Our culture, coupled with human nature, often convince us that in order to be remarkable we must be rich, famous, talented… That is why so many people flock to venues such as sports, music and acting. They are hoping to make it big. They are hoping to become famous – noticed. They are wanting someone to recognize their worth. But consider these statistics about show business, shared by Rebecca Rosen in The Atlantic:
The general consensus is that a very small percentage of actors make it big. This number remains close to Samuel Arbesman’s calculations in which only 0.04% of the overall acting population become famous. In reality, it could be even less. Currently, A-Listers make up about 0.0002% of SAG-AFTRA members….
According to the Guardian, only 2 percent of actors earn a living from acting, and something like 0.0086% of the world is famous.
When fame is not available to make someone feel remarkable, they sometimes seek riches, achievement, or even notoriety for doing something evil. Take for example those who play the lottery. They are hoping for a windfall. It is interesting to note that even a windfall can “fall” short of delivering. For example, it was reported that only 6 of the 21 “Dream Home” winners spent more than a year in their prized home. They could not afford the taxes. It was not the cure-all they expected.
God has long offered an abundant life. It is available to all. Those who accept His offer experience affirmation and recognition from God Himself. When God affirms, He can make any life remarkable and fulfilling. This is how Jesus put it in John 10:10 (MSG): I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of. When someone makes a genuine commitment to God, He will affirm them and bless them in remarkable ways. They may not be the ways society calls remarkable… His ways are even better. That is why, after all of human history, and many millennia of anti-God propaganda, people are still finding rich and full lives through relationships with God. He is What, or Who, makes ones’ life truly remarkable!