Chris Pratt has become one of the leading actors of our time. He hasn’t maintained fame by drama but by being an excellent performer and picking the right projects. He is winning the hearts of people all around the world with his personality, charm, and rare vulnerability about his love life, son, and faith.
I have listed five ways that Chris is using his platform and career as a Christlike example—not only to fans, but also to others in the industry.
1) At award ceremonies like the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards, Chris used his award speech to tell the audience that they have a soul and to be careful with it. Then he implored them to be humble and not to use their strength and intelligence as weapons against the weak. Finally, he ended with saying: “God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you. Believe that. I do! Learn to pray. It’s easy, and it’s so good for your soul.” To have someone like Pratt, who comes across as one of the most likable people in Hollywood, saying things like this is making a huge difference in the world.
2) He has been very vulnerable publicly about his dating, and now marriage to, Katherine Schwarzenegger; and he has posted on Instagram about faith being the center of their union: “Sweet Katherine, so happy you said yes! I’m thrilled to be marrying you. Proud to live boldly in faith with you. Here we go!”
3) He publicly shares on his Instagram and Twitter platform about his spiritual development, including his recent twenty-one-day fasting and prayer choice, which is really hard to do when you live such an active life. “Hi, Chris Pratt here. Day 3 of the Daniel Fast, check it out,” Pratt told his Instagram followers in January this year. “It’s twenty-one days of prayer and fasting.”
4) He shares testimonies of God’s power and grace in his life, including the most important one: His own son, who was born very prematurely, was healed through the power of prayer. Pratt said, “We were scared for a very long time. We prayed a lot. It restored my faith in God, not that it needed to be restored, but it really redefined it.”
5) He responds to criticism with grace and love. He came under fire for being involved with Hillsong church, which was accused of being anti-LGBTQ by celebrities such as Ellen Page, but he responded quickly and in love with the following on his Instagram account about Hillsong church and their ongoing support during his divorce from actress Anna Faris.
“It has recently been suggested that I belong to a church which ‘hates a certain group of people’ and is ‘infamously anti-LGBTQ.’ Nothing could be further from the truth. I go to a church that opens their doors to absolutely everyone. Despite what the Bible says about divorce, my church community was there for me every step of the way, never judging, just gracefully accompanying me on my walk. They helped me tremendously, offering love and support. It is what I have seen them do for others on countless occasions, regardless of sexual orientation, race or gender.” – Relevant magazine, “Chris Pratt Defends His Church after Ellen Page Accuses It of Being Anti-LGBTQ”
Pratt’s influence is huge. His Instagram has 27.2 million followers alone, which is larger than almost any church or ministry’s social media platform in the world. He is consistently choosing to show his deep care for his coworkers, compassion for other people, personal development, and faith journey.
And he doesn’t just give shoutouts or #blessed tweets; he is making meaningful statements which come from a deep personal experience of faith. Keep praying for him and his wife, and let’s ask God to raise up more men and women of faith who will use their platform for the kingdom!
Image from www.CBN.com