The runaway hit TV show, “American Idol” began its new season this past week. I wouldn’t say that I’m a big fan of the show by any stretch, but it certainly provides good entertainment. I watched the season premiere and was amusingly shocked by some of the contestants who were convinced of their singing ability. One contestant that particularly stood out, at least to me, was a young lady who had the peculiar ability to sing like the lion character from the movie, “Wizard of Oz.” Hilarious and pitiful at the same time.
As I was watching, I could not help but wonder why so many of these contestants went through so much trouble to make it to the audition. Some of them were fired from their jobs because they skipped work for the chance to try out. Some of them spent all kinds of money on voice lessons and training to be prepared. Some of them traveled from thousands of miles away just to get a chance to display their talents. What drives these people to go to such great lengths? An article that I read this past week suggests that it is the “Three A’s” that motivate these people: Affluence, Attractiveness, and Achievement. Our culture teaches us that the more of these Three A’s that we have, the more happy we will be. The Bible teaches us something totally different when it comes to being happy.
My hope and prayer is that we will all recognize that being the next American Idol does not guarantee happiness. Happiness, as defined by the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-10), only comes through seeking Christ with all of who we are.
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