Being rich and being famous are simply put: having financial abundance and great popularity. Being rich and famous are not wrong in themselves. It is also not necessarily wrong for a Christian to want to be rich and famous. The risk is not in the achieving of wealth or celebrity status but rather in the choice to live our lives worshiping something other than God. If being rich and famous is our goal, then being rich and famous will cause us to be a slave to a master other than God, and this is wrong. If we have a goal of becoming rich and famous so we can give glory to God and give generously to others, then it might be a good goal. But it can be a slippery slope. If we desire to be rich and famous, we should be careful to check our motives first and then continue to check our hearts and the fruit our lives produce if we do become rich and famous.
Money itself is amoral—it is what we use to make exchanges of goods and services, which is needed in any society. Being rich can certainly be used for good, especially when wealth is wisely stewarded to help others or further God’s kingdom. The Bible tells us to "to share what you have" (Hebrews 13:16), to work so that we "may have something to share with anyone in need" (Ephesians 4:28), and to love to give (1 Corinthians 9:6–7), especially to the poor (Proverbs 21:26; 28:27). We are also called to contribute to those who feed us spiritually and to the broader work of ministry (1 Corinthians 9:3–14; 2 Corinthians 9). Jesus was not wealthy (Matthew 8:20). He and His followers relied on God's provision through the generosity of others to support their ministry (Matthew 10:9–10; Luke 8:1–3). Later in the New Testament we see people contribute to the material needs of others as well as to support the work of the apostles (Acts 2:42–47; 4:34–35; 1 Corinthians 9:4–14; 2 Corinthians 11:7–11; 1 Timothy 5:17–18; James 2:14–17). People need to have money in order to contribute to material needs.
The rich have great opportunity to give generously. For some, their wealth can also free up time for them to serve God and others in unique ways. No matter how much money we have, all believers are called to love others and we are each a needed part of the body of Christ. Every believer is called to care for those in need and to participate in ministry in a variety of ways (Romans 12; Ephesians 4:11–16). Each of us is a steward of the wealth that God has entrusted to us; we should spend it and give it according to His direction. Again, riches are not the problem. The problem comes when we love riches rather than loving God.
While fame can certainly be a trap (John 12:43) and it is often rife with challenges, fame has its merits. People tend to be exposed to the messages of the famous and naturally extend some level of credibility to them. Fame can be a helpful platform for sharing the gospel. Jesus tells His followers (and us) that they are "the light of the world" and that they are to "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14–16). Fame can lead to people seeing Jesus and then praising God.
But whether our name is recognized by millions or only a few, we can be lights for Christ. Often the most effective witness is not on a large platform, but through daily one-on-one interactions in which we share the love and truth of Christ. Like Jesus, Christians should "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3–4).
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