LIVING FOR AN AUDIENCE OF ONE
He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
2 Chronicles 34:2 (NIV)
There comes a point in time when everyone must decide if they will build their life on what's popular to the world or what's proclaimed in the Word. I have learned that the two will be in conflict; what's popular to the world will rarely align with the Word of God. When I was younger, I thought both could coexist; now, I'm not so sure. Jesus Himself said don't be surprised when you face resistance. What's the resistance? It comes from the world not being aligned with the Word of God. People pleasing will always keep us from stepping into what God has for us. We should be mindful of what others think so we can be good witnesses, but we should be like-minded with Jesus. We should set it into our heart, into our bones, into our spirit that we will live for Him alone. When I was in high school, I had a phrase printed out on my door that I saw each day; it simply said, today, live your life for an audience of one. You won't be able to please everyone, even your family, job and friends. There might be things you aren't aligned with, and you will have to decide what you will build your life on—the world or the Word.
Josiah couldn't please God and the world. The very things he would do would change the way of life and call people to a different standard of living. At the end of the day, comfort will be one of the biggest threats to our faithfulness to God. I guarantee if you talked to Josiah, he would tell you it cost him something to follow God; however, I think he would tell you it was worth it. I'm sure he faced all sorts of resistance as he began to seek to live for God alone. If we have no resistance in our lives, it might be that we have resorted to living for the world. While resistance isn't a fun thing, it often shows we are in step with what God has in store for us. Satan isn't interested in attacking those who aren't in the spiritual battle. The resistance you face today is a reminder that God is at work, and you are in the battle. Celebrate that!
APPLICATION: Live for an audience of One today.
PRAYER: Ask God to help you live for Him alone. Ask Him to give you a supernatural strength to trust His Word and to follow Him fully. Ask God to give you a heart that craves and desires His Word like our bodies crave oxygen. Ask Him to help you face the resistance and be strong.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?