Why Applause Doesn’t Make You Somebody
In a recent episode of America’s Got Talent, Paul Potts, the first winner of Britain’s Got Talent, talked about the impact winning had on his life. He said, “I walked onto that stage a nobody and left it as somebody.” The crowd erupted in applause, and the judges nodded in agreement — but my heart broke.
I wanted to reach through the screen and tell Mr. Potts he was a somebody long before he walked on the stage of Britain’s Got Talent. Perhaps, he was not well known. Maybe he wasn’t asked to sing for the queen or to perform all over the world. Likely, only a handful of people knew he could sing and appreciated the gift he had been given. But, he was not a nobody.
From the moment God formed Paul Potts in his mother’s womb, he was a somebody. He mattered. He had value. He didn’t need the accolades of thousands of people to be somebody. He didn’t need people to cheer for him. He didn’t need to sell millions of albums. He didn’t need people to know his name. He was already known, already cared for, already beloved.
“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4 (NIV)
Someday the voice of Paul Potts will be a distant memory. The next person will step onto the stage, and Paul will be forgotten by the crowds that cheer for him today. If his worth is truly found in the applause of others, he will be left as he was before — a nobody.
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