An Audience Of One

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." - Colossians 3:23-24 

Most everything we do, we do primarily in an effort to please someone; ourselves, our spouses, our parents, our friends, people we want to be our friends, our bosses. But, if you are a Christian -  those are all the wrong reasons for doing what you do. In fact if any of those are your motivations, you may be tempted to do what you know is not right to do - compromising yourself just for the sake of pleasing someone and thereby finding acceptance and affirmation.

"When we discuss our plans and endeavors, we automatically think of notions like "aims", "ambition", achievements", "assessment" and so on. But we often overlook the vital part of audience. ..   A life lived listening to the decisive call of God is a life lived before one audience that trumps all others  - the Audience of One." - Os Guinness, The Call, page 70

If you want the adoration of the world, specifically of the culture in the United States, you must have notoriety. The number of followers on Tik Tok, Twitter, or some other form of social media is a measure of your "goodness". Os Guinness wrote the following in 1998- it might have been written yesterday.

"Today, however, the media offer a shortcut to fame - instantly fabricated famousness with no need for sweat, cost, and dedication of true greatness. The result is not the hero but the celebrity, the person famously described as "well-known for being well-known." A big name rather than a big person, the celebrity is someone who character is nothing, coverage is all." - The Call, p 78

I am thinking about Daniel and the lions' den and his three friends in the furnace. They faced a choice. Choose the culture they were living in and get along or reject the culture - honor God and be prepared to face the consequences. They chose the latter. They were saved by God and through that saving - God was glorified. But what if they had perished? I submit that God would still be glorified through their faithfulness. 

Our callings demand that we rise above our culture - that we resist our flesh by submitting to the Spirit. That we see God's calling as preeminent and the praise of men to be of no value to us. That we remember our priorities in this new life we now live.

"Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:36-40

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone