Audience of One (Revised)

        

        Who is the target audience of your life? The answers to select from are yourself, others and God. In this life, we can either be a me-pleaser, crowd-pleaser or God-pleaser.

        The me-pleasers take self-preservation and everything self way too far. These individuals have no bone of consideration in their body and live as though the universe revolves around them.

        The crowd-pleasers, even though they are service oriented people, spend way too much time focused on the desires of others and neglect their needs and those closest around them. They have no time for their own maturity and depend heavily on the immediate gratification of the crowd as reward.

        The God-pleasers have all their interests, ambitions, plans and desires centered on God and His will for their life. While taking care of yourself and others is not only important but biblical, priority to pleasing God will help maintain spiritual balance in the Christian life.

        Pleasing yourself has no eternal value. Pleasing the crowd is a bottomless pit or continual revolving door of revisited highs that will never be satisfied. Pleasing God has immediate and everlasting results.

        Do you want to know what pleases God? I hope you do. Ephesians 5:10 encourages - "...find out what pleases the Lord." The following are some things Scripture mentions are pleasing to God, therefore action items for our lives.

1. Don't be a stumbling block to others (Romans 14:13-23). Not being a stumbling block to others results from serving Christ through righteousness, peace and joy by the Holy Spirit.
2. Monetary support of a well respected believer (Philippians 4:18)
3. Family care (1 Timothy 5:4)
4. Do good and share with others (Hebrews 13:16)
5. Pray for authorities over you (1 Timothy 2:1-3)
6. Strive for integrity in your life (1 Chronicles 29:17)

        Not pleasing God to me is very similar to the feeling I received growing up when I disappointed my parents. The disappointment tore me up inside something fierce! My heart, stomach, and soul ached tremendously. It was worse than any punishment I might have received. However, anytime I especially made them proud by following directions or going above and beyond - pleasing them, they let me know their appreciation and I desired to stay in that behavior.

        Pleasing God is mainly about approval, but my relationship is not based on that approval or based on pleasing Him. Twice in Scripture, at Jesus' baptism and at Jesus' transfiguration, Father God says aloud, "This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased." Notice how "whom I love" comes before "I am well pleased". Relationship comes before performance with Father God concerning His Son Jesus and through His Son Jesus.

        Another stunning example of living a God-pleasing lifestyle was Enoch. Scripture says the following about this man...

"Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." (Genesis 5:24)

"By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God." (Hebrews 11:5)

        Enoch lived in such an incredible sinful time in history that God said He was going to wipe humanity from the face of the earth (Genesis 6:5-8). But God found favor with Noah. The incredible thing is sometime in the middle of all that wickedness Enoch lived such a God-pleasing life that God snatched him or raptured him away or out of this world to Heaven. What I would give to know the pleasing things Enoch was doing.

        Is God The One who truly matters in your life? If He is The One that you are trying to please, then all the other pieces of life will operate as they should. Again, your thoughts, words, and actions toward pleasing God after your Salvation should be based on the gratitude of your Salvation. So, who is your audience? The correct answer and listener should be your Audience of One.