Is it sinful to want to be famous?

from the old testament

• The Bible doesn't specify fame as a sin, but it does say that we should be humble, not seeking to glorify ourselves but to glorify God. The psalmist writes, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!" (Psalm 115:1). God reads our hearts and knows our motives (Proverbs 16:2).
• The result of fame is receiving an earthly reward. However, the Bible encourages us to do good things in private, assuring us that God sees our good deeds and will reward us (Proverbs 19:17).
• Ecclesiastes 1:11 reveals the futility of chasing the world’s version of fame: “There is no remembrance of former things, nor will there be any remembrance of later things yet to be among those who come after.”

from the new testament

• The motivation behind us doing all things should be glorifying God over winning man’s praise (1 Corinthians 10:31). When we do good things we should do them in secret, knowing God sees us  and will reward us in secret (Matthew 6:4).
• Rather than seeking honor and glory for ourselves through fame, we're to emulate Jesus' example. Though He is the Son of God, He washed His apostles' feet: 'If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you" (John 13:14–15).
• Those who want fame should consider what Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God" (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).
• Oftentimes fame comes with self-centeredness, but God empowers all that we do (1 Corinthians 12:5-6), so we shouldn't think that we deserve acclaim.
• Oftentimes, the desire to be famous is accompanied by the desire to be rich, yet 1 Timothy 6:9 warns, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.”
• Peter wrote of humility bringing God's reward: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6). The aim should be to please God, not human beings (1 Thessalonians 2:4).
• We may not know why we have a desire to be famous or how to handle this desire. Thankfully, we are not left without a Counselor—we can ask God for wisdom on our situation (James 1:5).

implications for today

To be seen and known—-this is something every human being wants. But how we satisfy that desire makes all the different. Christ, not the world, is the best way to meet that need because in Him, we find our true identity in (Ephesians 1:13-14). He is also our primary example to live by, so we should reflect His example of humility in our daily walk, seeking God’s presence and will at all times (John 6:15), even if it costs us fame and glory.

Those who live in cultures that push being “rich and famous” can easily fall into the trap of thinking this is our life’s goal. We can buy into the lie that without money and attention from others we will never reach our full potential or live our best life. But in less than one hundred years, everyone reading this will be dead. Our relationship with Christ is eternal. Our focus should be living a life that honors Him knowing that we will receive an eternal reward for our humble service in due time. Ultimately, we should be laying up our treasures in heaven, not on this Earth (Matthew 6:19-21).