Audience of One By Cortney Donelson

Romans 12:2 (NIV)

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

My mind is being transformed...

In this society, we, the heirs of Christ’s labor, are met with the same temptations, rejection, and loneliness that Jesus Himself experienced before nearly everyone in Jerusalem convinced a hesitant Pilate to crucify Him. Yet, all that did not stop Jesus from approving God’s will. In Matthew 26:39, Jesus prays, “…My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Even though He knew death was coming, Jesus lived for an audience of One.

The first obstacle in the renewing my mind is my wanting so badly to conform to this world. The temptation I fall prey to time after time is the comparison temptation. I will be honest and tell you that sometimes I look at others and wonder, “How do they do it?" The it is any area where I feel as if I am losing in that selfishly silly comparison game. How do they … buy the new car, build the new deck, manage three kids in different activities, work full-time, exercise five days a week, get the promotion, walk the dog regularly, save more money … you name it, I have compared it. The pattern of this world seems to be this: acquire a good education, secure a high-paying job, grow a happy and well-rounded family, send said children to elite colleges and universities, and retire early as the next generation accepts your high-paying job.

I have to ask myself why? Is the answer that this is what others are doing? Is that a sufficient reason? Are people finding joy in this pattern? Am I?

The second dilemma I face in renewing my mind is where I place my focus. I grew up looking for others’ approval, whether it was my parents, teachers, coaches, or friends. After a while, I learned to set my own lofty expectations, ones that always seemed focus on success. Until my mid-thirties, my goals were aligned with the patterns of this world: graduate with a master’s degree, secure a high-paying job, start a family of mini-mees, raise them “right,” and retire “happy.” I found little joy living with this focus. I lived with the feeling that something was missing. Actually, it was more than that: I felt I was not doing what I was created to do. In my innermost parts, I knew that life had to be more than this simple-minded pattern that propels all of us toward the grave. I wanted a life filled with joy that propelled me to an eternity in the Hands of my Father.

Source: www.gospelfitchallenge.com

In my mid-thirties, God poked my heart hard enough for me to truly understand what it meant to surrender all – surrender the pattern of this world, the one that was fast-tracking me to a life of loneliness, stress, and selfishness. God was beginning to transform me. Rather than a legacy of success, I suddenly wanted to leave a legacy of living in God’s will. My former audience of parents, employers, friends, and neighbors dwindled down to just an audience of One – God.

Do you know what happened? The comparison game ended. My focus changed. Joy sprung up from within. My purpose was clear. My legacy was forever altered. My mind continues to be renewed.

The founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Bill Bright, has this on his gravestone: “Slave for Jesus.” Now that is a powerful legacy to leave! You can’t get more in tune with God’s will and perfect plan than living as a slave for Jesus. Bill Bright not only founded a national ministry affecting millions for God, but he also played an integral role in the production of the Jesus film in 1979. According to The New York Times, Jesus is likely the most-watched motion picture of all time. The Jesus Film Project states that Jesus has been viewed more than 6 billion times (including repeat viewings).

That is what I want. I want to live for an audience of One. I want to talk, act, think, pray, serve, eat, work, volunteer, raise my kids, and live my one and only life for something bigger than any earthly accomplishment. My successes will die when I do. I want my legacy for Christ to live forever as purpose-driven and joyful change that was brought about while doing life for God and impacting others for His Kingdom. Maybe you want that too?

Prayer –Thank You, Father God, for Your perfect plan. Help me live according to Your purposes for me. Thank You for Your truth, and remind me that no earthly comparison will move me toward You. Rather, grant me a servant’s heart for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

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