Actor and comedian Kevin James is best known for his television roles rather than his personal life, but in his life he is a faithful Christian who aims to use his career to inspire people and help them live in the right way, as he explained to the Christian Broadcasting Network in an interview about his career and beliefs.
During the interview, James was asked about his focus on “inspirational comedy” and what that means. In response, he said that his goal is to help people better themselves and live their lives in a way that benefits both them and those around them. He also spoke about his faith and from where it comes, along with what he sees as being a key issue with the modern world.
He said, “To be a better version of themselves, to take control. Only they can take control of what they do which, in fact, can inspire those around you in that it really has an effect on other people, how you act in a situation. By taking care of your own “home” and doing it like that, it has an effect on those around you. Simply, everybody has to change, our nature.”
Continuing, he explained how he thinks people are either moving in the right or wrong direction, making it important that they head in the right way. He said, “I believe that there is no neutral, really. Either you’re growing or you’re receding. Now, you’re either living or you’re dying in a way. It feels to me that when people become complacent, and we all do in our lives at some point or another, that you need to take the best of yourself and basically apply yourself to become the best version of yourself. That, in turn, will inspire those around you, hopefully, to do the same. It’s got a ripple effect, and it can go, all across the land it can literally happen.”
James also spoke about the importance of sacrifice, saying, “Well, it is. Even if it’s not in the Bible, it’s true. When you sacrifice, when you do these things, there is no greater love; and it doesn’t have to be so drastic. It’s self-sacrifice, really, in helping your friends. It doesn’t have to be necessarily to the death. Like this guy is going out and doing what he can. But it can also be in very small things, just doing something for someone unexpectedly, and it just changed their outlook. The thing that we’re trying to get across here is sometimes you don’t realize the ripple effect, the effect that can changed that you don’t necessarily see. It’s not necessarily tangible.”
And from where does he get those ideas of faith and life? From his faith background as a Christian, having grown up in the church. Describing that background, James said, “I’m Catholic Christian. My father always took us to church and we went as a family. I knew, at times in my life, where I would not fall away completely out of the faith, but just not be as faithful and not learn as much. Later on in life, I just started coming back to it more and more. And I’m continuing to learn more and more each day and trying to be the person that God wants me to be.”
He then explained how he sees there as being a lack of faith in the modern world, telling CBN, “I think there’s a huge lack of faith. I think it’s, like I said it’s become more and more about me and what we can do, “me, me, me” and living for ourselves for this time. I think it hurts us not only in the afterlife, but I think it also hurts us while you’re here. I think it hurts us to live that way while you’re on earth.”
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