So, how is it that the highest-paid female pop artist, successful in mainstream music industry and who has pretty much everything she wants, ends up struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts?
“It’s not just a material foundation: it’s a soul foundation”
Katy Perry
I was listening to a video snippet of an interview with pop artist, Katy Perry, who recently revealed that she was suffering of depression and she didn’t quite like her identity as Katy Perry anymore. Interestingly, she had mentioned that she had cut her hair real short as a result of her disdaining her pop persona that she had adopted to thrive in the industry.
“I so badly want to be Katheryn Hudson that I don’t want to look like Katy Perry anymore sometimes… I really want to be my authentic self, a hundred percent”
Like Katy, many people, especially youngsters, encounter something that they dislike about themselves, try to change either the physical appearance or their personality. Be it the outward form of change they embrace, such as tattooing, piercing or going under the knife to ‘fix their flaws’ or changing their social behavior to become aggressive, recluse or just act like the rest of the crowd – just to fit in. In some cases, there is an underlying cause such as abuse, being bullied, trauma or verbal assault that leads to this. And the more rooted the cause, the worse it gets to overcome it.
In the case of Katy Perry, apart from the successful pop artist that she has become, there was also aversion to the identity that she had adopted for the music industry. She desperately wanted to come back to the person she grew up as – Katheryn Hudson – who started her career as a gospel singer and who spent her talents for the church worship.
And that’s what life in the secular world does to you. It lures you into its vogue and vanity leaving you with a void that makes you depressed and hurt. No matter how desperately you try to fill that void with the things of the world, you cant quite find the answer. You keep searching… but to no avail.
8 years ago I remember feeling this void myself. I tried to change to fit in with the crowd. But I that no amount of trying to change myself would fill the somber emptiness that often times made me so disappointed with who I was. I desperately searched for answers but couldn’t find any.
And that’s when Jesus walked into my life. The day I surrendered my life to Him, I never wanted to change anything for myself out of sheer disdain but I saw that the Holy Spirit was changing me with His everlasting love for me. Even in the midst of my weakness, it was a great feeling to be loved unconditionally.
Do you also feel a huge void in your life too? Have you tried to change yourself desperately in an effort to fit in the crowd but felt it was useless? I implore you to ask Jesus to be your Savior today and you will witness first hand the difference in your life. If you already know Jesus and you still feel you don’t have a relationship with Him, talk to Him. Have a candid conversation with Him and He will reveal His plans to you.
So stop hating on yourself and ask Jesus to do the changing in your life; I promise you it will be worth it!
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV)
God bless.
