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4 Perils of Platform by J A R E D C . W I L S O N
“So his fame spread even to distant places, for he was wondrously helped until he became strong.” –2 CHRONICLES 26:15B
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In the age of millionaire YouTubers and Instagram “influencers,” it seems like everybody’s pursuing a platform of some kind. Some chase the spotlight unabashedly. Others have it cast upon them. But Andy Warhol’s speculation that in the future every person will be famous for 15 minutes did not seem to account for the ubiquity of fame in the 21st century. “Fifteen minutes is for chumps. Click on my Patreon and keep me going for fifteen months!” Is the pursuit of platform always bad? No. But it frequently is, as any good or neutral thing can be when pursued out of the wrong motives. And even if pursued innocently, public platform— whether you’re an author, musician, speaker, or just a guy or gal growing your social media audience—comes with inherent dangers. Like money, platform can be spent wisely or poorly. Here are four temptations anyone seeking or using a public platform should be aware of: 1. PLATFORM AS HEAVEN When I was an aspiring author, I frequently thought of how great it was going to feel when I was finally published. I imagined the satisfaction it would give me, finally fulfilling my dream. I worked long and hard in my pursuit of a writing career, toiling away writing local magazine pieces for pennies (or for free), and tried for 10 years to get a book published. And then I finally did! And it was great. It really was. But it didn’t actually do for me what I thought it might do. The truth is—whether in writing or ministry or anything else—when we put the weight of glory that only God can carry on anything other than him, the goods simply can’t be delivered. Whatever kind of platform you may be praying about or actively pursuing, please remind yourself constant-
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