You may have heard of the recent death of Liam Payne, a member of the boy band, One Direction. While in Argentina, he tragically fell off a third level balcony in his hotel room.
By his own admission, Liam’s life had been spiraling out of control. Why is it that we keep hearing this same story over and over again from people that experience massive success?
“The Top” Doesn’t Guarantee Happiness
Once people get to the top, they realize there is nothing there.
One Direction sold a staggering 70 million records; Liam Payne had reached global fame and the pinnacle of success. Yet, something was still missing. In an interview, he talked about his struggles with drugs and hitting rock bottom:
My dad said it from day one. Lonely hotel rooms, man. Getting locked in that room is not fun. . . I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it. No one would have ever of seen it. But rock bottom. . . I mean, I don’t even know if I’ve hit it yet.
So sad. How is it you could have all of that success and fame, but your life still spirals out of control?
This is nothing new. We can go all the way back to king Solomon, who had power, wealth, and fame. He had every pleasure his world could offer. But even with that, he said he looked at everything he had accomplished and it was all emptiness.
I think when you’re trying to climb that ladder of success, whatever you perceive it to be, you feel that once you get to the top, you’ll be happy and content. But when someone makes it to the top, they find out there’s nothing there.
Celebrities Still Feel Something’s Missing
Take Tom Brady, undeniably the greatest of all time. After he had won three Super Bowl rings—ultimately he went on to win seven—he made this statement, “Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there’s something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, ‘Hey man, this is what is.’ I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think: ‘God, it’s gotta be more than this.’”
Similarly, Brad Pitt said, “I know all these things are supposed to seem important to us—the car, the condo, our version of success—but if that’s the case, why is the general feeling out there reflecting more impotence and isolation and desperation and loneliness? If you ask me, I say toss all this—we gotta find something else. Because all I know is that at this point in time, we are heading for a dead end, a numbing of the soul, a complete atrophy of the spiritual being. And I don’t want that.”
Lady Gaga’s also had a very successful career in music and film. She said this, “I won an Oscar, I sang at the Super Bowl, but in some ways I still feel empty inside. I think it’s because I’m still searching for who I am and where I fit in.”
4 Truths About Humanity
Everyone Is Empty Inside
Let me tell you something about every person. They may be famous, infamous, or they may be unknown. But everyone is empty inside. God effectively made us with a hole in our heart; the Bible says God made His creation subject to emptiness. It’s an emptiness that only He can feel. Drugs, alcohol, or even relationships won’t fill that hole in our lives.
Everyone Is Lonely
Everyone’s also lonely. Even the people with a lot of social media followers still feel lonely and isolated. Or in a crowded room, the loneliness remains. That’s because it’s a loneliness for God Himself.
Everyone Is Guilty
Here’s another thing that’s true of everybody: everyone is guilty. We all feel a sense of guilt deep down inside because we’ve sinned, we’ve broken God’s commandments.
Everyone Is Afraid to Die
And despite the bravado some might put on, deep down everyone is afraid to die.
But the Christian does not have to fear because we have a hope of life beyond the grave because of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25–26 NKJV).
I no longer have to fear because Jesus holds the keys to death and the grave.
Everyone’s Answer Is God
The answer for everyone is a relationship with God.
The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 NKJV). I wish I could have shared this message with Liam Payne, but I can still share it with you. What you’re truly looking for in life is a relationship with God. Nothing else will fill the void deep inside of you.
