Living Hope Church - A Free Methodist Congregation in Eugene, OR.

Living For An Audience of One

Over the last couple of months I have been sharing a series of messages on the concept of “Living For an Audience of One”. The idea is for us shift our focus from people to God and live with him alone as our audience. You can check out the messages if you missed them. Here is a covenant I came across for those interested in taking up the challenge to live for God alone.

“LIVING FOR AN AUDIENCE OF ONE”
COVENANT

“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God?”
— Galatians 1:10

• I will stand up for the truth even if it means being the lone voice in the matter. I will not let fear of people silence me when I need to speak up.
• I will let Jesus’ love for me, shape the way I view myself, and reject the lie that ‘Who I am’ = ‘My performance’ + ‘Other people’s opinions of me.’
• I will surrender myself, my abilities, and anything else “in my hand” to God, trusting that He can do all He wants to do through me once I am yielded to Him.
• I will accept the fact that Jesus’ primary purpose for my life is not to make me happy, but to make me holy. No matter how much it hurts, I will not let apparent failure dissuade me from doing what God calls me to do.
• I will play second fiddle with grace no matter how much my ego kicks against it, trusting that there is nothing God can’t do through me so long as I don’t care who gets the credit.
• I will live my life with the conviction that there is sufficient time to do the whole will of God, but also with the understanding that following Jesus sometimes means saying ‘no’ to good people and good causes.
• I will become a Levite: transferring the title of all my money and possessions into Jesus’ name, tithing as a first step on the stewardship journey and staying attentive and responsive to how God wants me to use the other 90?
• I will allow God’s gracious warnings regarding ‘the price tag for playing for the crowd’ to guard my heart from going the way of people pleasing.
• I will press on in my relationship with God after I blow it. I will go back to the word to get God’s perspective, admit where I went wrong, make the necessary course corrections, and then recommit myself to living for an Audience of One with all my heart.
• I will wait for vindication to come from God, and resign from playing ‘defense attorney’ every time I am wronged or misunderstood.
  — by Joshua Brooks