The problem isn’t that a person isn’t perfect enough nor that they were “corrupted” by power, fame or whatever else we all quickly point to when a person “falls”. The problem is that we love putting people on a pedestal, so much so that we can’t imagine them killing a spider. Someone once made me laugh when they asked another person if they pooped like everyone else because they were just so awesome. It was a little weird, I can’t lie, but it did get me thinking: Why do we put people on pedestals?
I’ve grown to learn that some humans love putting people so high up, but they love it even more when the person comes crashing down. It’s almost as if they watch in awe, their compliments laced with a mixture of envy and a bit of excitement; envious of that person’s courage to be great despite whatever flaws they may have (because everyone has flaws, of course), and excitement resulting from the idea that said person must have some skeletons in the closet they just couldn’t wait to find out about. So when something does come up about the person, they all drop their placards and banners in a movement as swift as lightning, and swap them for spears, sticks and stones to persecute this person. Because how dare he or she be human?! I often imagine such people cowering away like mice, being buried along with all their unfulfilled hopes and dreams when they die, because they were never bold enough to step out of their comfort zone for fear of people discovering this other side to them and calling them frauds, or something.
Why do we fear our vices, anyway? True, I’d rather not nurse my weaknesses nor feed them, but surely, knowing they’re there helps me to understand why I am the way I am, why i react a certain way to certain situations, and make careful decisions about such weaknesses so they don’t stand in the way of me achieving my goals, right?
So if you’re afraid of people digging up and peeling off your layers, trying to find any cracks on your surface, don’t let it stop you from going after what you want. History almost always repeats itself, and you’ll find that this isn’t a new thing under this twenty-first-century sun. Now there’s social media, so news travels a great deal faster, but it’s the same old story. Pedestal ➡️ pit. You decide where you want to land.
Proverbs 16:9 – “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.”
– If you’re not doing anything you’re not going anywhere!
Don’t worry too much about what people think or say about you and your dreams. Trust in the Lord! And if you don’t believe in Him, well, trust that things will work out in your favour.
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