An Audience of One
Earlier today, while straightening up and rearranging our library a bit, I came across one of my favorite books, The Call by Os Guinness. It's been nearly ten years since I first read it. It was then that I was introduced to this idea of "the Audience of One." In the chapter dedicated to this concept Guinness writes, "Most of us, whether we we are aware of it or not, do things with an eye to the approval of some audience or other. The question is not whether we have an audience but which audience we have."
So who is your audience? Who are you trying to please? At some level most of us would say our family (spouses and children) is one part of our audience. And it is admirable to try to please them. Also, as Christians, the Bible gives us direction as to how to do that in such a way that it honors God. Many might also say that their employers or their careers in some way provide the audience. Regarding this, the apostle Paul suggests that we are to "...work, as unto the Lord" since, "it is the Lord Christ you are serving". (Colossians 3:23-24)
Later in the chapter Guinness writes, "The greatest deeds are done before the Audience of One, and that is enough. Those who are seen and sung by the Audience of One can afford to be careless about lesser audiences." Of course, the One he is referring to, is God. This pretty much sums of the idea of Living Unfiltered for God, doesn't it? If we remain consciously aware of the idea that God truly is omniscient, that He sees what we do in secret (Matthew 6:4), then we can stay focused on remaining in His will and heeding His call. Anything else becomes secondary. Actually, everything else becomes secondary. God is the one we want to please. Our heavenly Father becomes the one we want to be watching when we are at our best.
Little did I know when I highlighted and underlined the words quoted above, that ten years later they would find their way into a blog about living "Unfiltered for God". No doubt, those words were being used by God as part of the groundwork and preparation in my life to help bring me to this place of being so passionate about living the unfiltered life.
So think about this as you begin a new week... Who are you treating as your audience? And who should it be?
So who is your audience? Who are you trying to please? At some level most of us would say our family (spouses and children) is one part of our audience. And it is admirable to try to please them. Also, as Christians, the Bible gives us direction as to how to do that in such a way that it honors God. Many might also say that their employers or their careers in some way provide the audience. Regarding this, the apostle Paul suggests that we are to "...work, as unto the Lord" since, "it is the Lord Christ you are serving". (Colossians 3:23-24)
Later in the chapter Guinness writes, "The greatest deeds are done before the Audience of One, and that is enough. Those who are seen and sung by the Audience of One can afford to be careless about lesser audiences." Of course, the One he is referring to, is God. This pretty much sums of the idea of Living Unfiltered for God, doesn't it? If we remain consciously aware of the idea that God truly is omniscient, that He sees what we do in secret (Matthew 6:4), then we can stay focused on remaining in His will and heeding His call. Anything else becomes secondary. Actually, everything else becomes secondary. God is the one we want to please. Our heavenly Father becomes the one we want to be watching when we are at our best.
Little did I know when I highlighted and underlined the words quoted above, that ten years later they would find their way into a blog about living "Unfiltered for God". No doubt, those words were being used by God as part of the groundwork and preparation in my life to help bring me to this place of being so passionate about living the unfiltered life.
So think about this as you begin a new week... Who are you treating as your audience? And who should it be?
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