“I’m not living for applause; I’m already so adored. He knows my name.” (Battistelli, Fieldes, Mosley, 2014)
I have heard this song sung by Francesca Battistelli many times, and every time my mind sticks to this one line, “I’m not living for applause, I’m already so adored!”
We live in a performance-based society. The better we are at something the more acceptance and respect we receive.
We have read about this in our childrens books for years. A new kid comes to town and he is ridiculed and made an outcast right up until he proves that he can hit a home run, or she can sing in the band. It doesn’t matter what kind of person he or she is, it only matters if he/she can deliver.
This is especially true in our political world today as well as in professional sports and with our Hollywood icons. It doesn’t matter how many times a person of politics, a professional athlete or a movie star does something that questions societies ethics or morals, as long as they continue to entertain or perform at a higher level we will continue to support them.
What is the phenomenon that allows us to look past a person’s character and only look at their performance?
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Col 3:23)
We spend our lives building our resume. It’s not about how we live or what our character is. It’s all about how well we perform. We are in constant competition with everyone around us to make sure that we get our name out there, that we rise to the top faster and stay there longer. The more awards we win the more friends we will have. The longer our resume is the more opportunities we will have.
So, is there anything wrong with this? Not necessarily, if we are self-disciplined, highly motivated individuals, we have no choice but to build that resume and to continue to achieve accolades and rise to the top of our field. It’s just part of who we are. I mean after all somebody has to be the best. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be the one who fills that position.
Usually a highly motivated, self disciplined person can’t help but succeed because they are constantly working toward their goal with very little deviation from that goal.
It’s about how we get to where we are going and what we are willing to do to get there that matters. Are we willing to compromise our character or break societies rules to get there, or are we willing to settle for less in order to live a morally sound life? Is being the best so important that we are willing to lie, cheat, and hurt people to get there?
With the onset of helicopter parents, people are not only striving to achieve great success themselves they are also striving to achieve great success for their children. The question still stands are we willing to lie, cheat, and hurt other people’s children to see ours rise to the top?
Can we excel to the top while staying true to our own moral code? Some can and they should. That is who that top spot is made for. What if we want it so bad we can see it, and it will only take one little lie or one little cheat, would we do it to get there? If staying true to our moral code keeps us from achieving the top tier of success, will we accept that?
What if we don’t excel? What if we are only, dare I say, mediocre? I actually don’t mean mediocre, I mean average, wait, I actually don’t mean average either I mean normal. To say mediocre or average is to give the impression that we didn’t work as hard as we could have. Most of us do work really hard and achieve our best but our best just isn’t enough. It doesn’t matter how hard I work or how many days I practice I will never be an Olympic athlete. For that matter, I’m sure I will never be an Olympic volunteer, although that is a more reachable goal.
Do you realize how many normal people there are compared to the top achievers? There’s only one President, there are a handful of congress people but there are millions of regular, normal people. One valedictorian but hundreds of students. One CEO but hundreds of employees. According to Hopper from, A Bug’s Life; “Those puny little ants outnumber us a hundred to one.” The normal, average person outnumber the top achievers a hundred to one. So why are we so adamant about getting there, and so worried we won’t be accepted if we don’t? Why are we willing to sacrifice so much to achieve something so fleeting?
“But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moths and vermin do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:20-21).
Is it possible to achieve great success and still maintain our moral compass? Many people do and when they do their reward is great. But what if we are just normal? What if we are the kid that moves to town and can’t catch a football or stop people in their tracks with our beauty. What if we are just regular people living life day-to-day and going about our business to the best of our ability? What if our best will never win us awards? What if we live a life full of kindness and no one ever notices? What if we live a life, working hard every single day and no one notices? What if people continue to expect perfection from us and we know that we will never live up to their standards while still living within our moral compass?
What is important? That we excel at all cost, compromising our morals and standards to gain recognition and false friendships. Friendships that are based on our performance and not on trust or respect? Or is it more important to live a life, happy to be who we are? Normal, and in great company I might add.
The onset of social media has increased our fear that we have to be the best and achieve more because every one on our page, it seems, is getting so much more than us, more awards, achieving more and doing more while we are just going through our everyday life. Social media measures our performance by likes. The more likes the more applause. We post our achievements and our children’s achievements because we like the applause.
Can we get to a point in our lives when we decide that, we’re not living for applause? If we can’t get to the top or get to be the best without losing ourselves and hurting people along the way can we realize that where we are is okay because our adoration is not based on performance.
“He calls me chosen, free forgiven, wanted, child of the King,
His forever, held and treasured…
I am loved”
(Battistelli, Fieldes, Mosley, 2014
What does it mean to be adored? Is it better to be loved or adored?
Love is a noun, which means it’s a thing. It just sits there and does nothing. The definition of love is an intense feeling of deep affection. The definition of affection is a gentle feeling of fondness or liking.
So, to love someone means that you have an intense feeling of fondness or liking for that person.
Adore on the other hand is a verb which means it is an action. It is something that you do. The definition of adore is; to love and respect deeply. We already know what the definition of love is, the definition of respect is; to admire deeply, which is also a verb.
When someone loves you it means that they like you an awful lot with an intense feeling of deep affection for you.
But to be adored by someone means that you are liked an awful lot with deep affection, (love) and also deeply admired, (respect).
Admire means to regard with respect or warm approval or to look at with pleasure.
My point is this:
If we are adored we are also loved, respected, admired deeply and looked on with pleasure. So this song represents God’s love as adoration for us, which is bigger than love.
“I’m already so adored” (Battistelli, Fieldes, Mosley, 2014).
If we could truly comprehend that God loves us to the point of adoration then we would understand we don’t need to live for applause, we are already so adored. We don’t have to be the best there is, just the best we can be. We can accept ourselves with all our flaws, striving to be better then we were yesterday. We could accept others with all their flaws. The pressure to preform in the top one percent would be gone. The pressure to be perfect would be gone. We could reach our goals while treating others with kindness. We could lift others up and step aside to watch them achieve greatness without feeling threatened. We wouldn’t feel the need to always have the spotlight we could sacrifice a little attention in order to let someone else get the applause?
Think about this: Should we love Jesus or adore Him?
“Word of the Father, now is flesh appearing. Oh come let us adore Him, oh come let us adore Him, oh come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord” (Wade, 1744).
In other words: Oh come let us love, respect, admire and look on Him with pleasure, Christ the Lord.