Introduction
At a recent conference, stand-up comedian and actor Naveen Richard shared his testimony about coming to faith in Jesus in April 2020. Naveen has been a fixture in the Indian comedy scene for over a decade and is known for his sharp wit and observational comedy. However, in the spring of 2020, Naveen had a life-changing encounter with God that has reshaped his career and motivations.
Naveen Richard as a comedian
Naveen Richard says that most comedians are not serving some higher altruistic purpose by making people laugh. They simply enjoy comedy and seeking the validation of audiences. This was true for Naveen as well in the early days. Although he studied law in college, he was directionless and struggled through his academics. In his final year, he discovered stand-up comedy and began performing shows on his campus.
After finishing his law degree, Naveen started creating viral sketch comedy videos online with friends. Their goal was to someday create TV shows and movies that contained heart and avoided formulaic humor. Within a few years, Naveen and his partners achieved moderate success online and even got to create a sitcom about an NGO in which Naveen played the lead role.
Stand-up comedy: The Lure of Fame
However, as Naveen tasted more fame, he only craved more. He thought achieving his next goal would satisfy him, but it never did. At one point, he set his sights on winning two Oscars, thinking then he would be content. But the nonstop drive for fame put a strain on his family relationships and health. He became a “slave to his own ambition,” believing he had to achieve certain things before slowing down to enjoy life or consider marriage.
Meanwhile, Naveen considered himself a “just in case Christian”–he would go to church just in case Jesus happened to be the real God. But Christianity had a little impact on his core motivations and drive.
Encountering Jesus
In April 2020, Naveen had a powerful encounter with Jesus in his home that deeply shook him. He suddenly knew that God was real and that the Bible presented the truth. Naveen realized he had to make a choice whether to surrender everything to following Jesus. This felt scary, as he did not know what saying yes to God might require him to sacrifice. But Naveen resolved that he could not say no to God if Jesus was indeed the way, truth, and life.
After committing to follow Jesus, Naveen lost all motivation to pursue comedy fame or Oscar trophies. None of those earthly things would matter in the light of eternity. Naveen wondered what was the point of all his self-centered ambition when there were dying people who needed the salvation message.
A New Purpose in stand-up shows
Initially, after getting saved, Naveen turned away from stand-up comedy entirely, feeling it was frivolous compared to the work of spreading the Gospel. He didn’t want to write jokes or entertain people with jokes. But God kept nudging him to use his gifts for a different purpose–to lead audiences to consider Christ through clean, heartfelt comedy.
Naveen returned to writing stand-up material, but this time his motivation stemmed from compassion for lost people rather than seeking validation from entertainment insiders. He composed an entire new one-hour special within weeks and toured with it extensively over the past year.
Letting Go of Outcomes
Previously, Naveen would have been devastated if he did not sell out every venue on his standup tour. Every show would have to be a smashing success to prove that Jesus favored his career. But Naveen’s perspective underwent radical change after meeting Jesus face-to-face. Earthly success no longer drove him, but rather living for an audience of one–his Heavenly Father.
Naveen shared that he finally realized some things are more important than sold out theaters–like displaying grace under pressure on stage so attendees glimpse God’s peace in him. When he surrendered the need to control outcomes, Naveen found freedom in performance and, ironically, most shows still sold out, anyway.
Changed Motivations
In closing, Naveen contrasted the emptiness of seeking validation from entertainment idols versus the glory of knowing the God who engineered stars and galaxies with intricate precision. Every other source of human admiration shrinks into nothing next to the brilliance of the Lord Most High. Naveen challenged listeners to consider what currently motivates them and whether their ambition stems from a desire to serve self or serve God. True meaning springs from the latter.
Source : Lead talks
