I live before the audience of One – before others I have nothing to gain, nothing to lose, nothing to prove. ~ From Os Guiness’ book “The Call”
Throughout the course of my life, I’ve been able to choose some cars that I would classify as fairly “cool.”
My first car was an Opel GT, which looked like a miniature Corvette.
I’ve driven trucks, SUVs and sleek sedans. In the last 20 years, 4 wheel drive has been pretty standard.
But when grandson Jude was born in 2015, I realized that with this new addition to the family, I needed a vehicle that provided more passenger space.
So, I went bought one of the most uncool cars known to man.
I bought a minivan.
Some of the memes that have taken shots at the minivan include these zingers:
- The minivan: time to admit you’ve given up!
- Mom’s minivan: less conformist than the bus.
- “I used to be cool” – the only sticker you should put on a minivan
- “Cool minivan!” – said nobody ever
- “I just bought a minivan. Now I’m turning in my man card.”
Not a whole lot of love out there for the minivan, is there?!
But, my minivan has a least one ardent fan: Jude.
Simply put, Jude thinks my minivan is the best!
Recently, I asked Jude what his favorite type of car is. His answer came without hesitation. “A van!”
And why not? The doors slide open automatically and there’s a DVD player hanging from the ceiling. And the stereo plays Beatles and VBS songs.
We all fit in the van’s cabin. Even the dog has a spot on the floor.
Last year while on a family trip to the east coast, Jude’s mom and dad had to rent a car. And they ended up with a van just like mine. Which thrilled Jude to no end.
So, for all the minivan hate going on out there, I’m actually quite happy.
Because the only person that matters to me is the opinion of the person who gets to ride in my van. If Jude’s happy, I’m happy.
I think that’s how it’s supposed to be with God.
So often we worry about what others think.
But the only thing that really matters in this life is what God thinks.
His opinion should drown out all others.
Winston Churchill once made this declaration:
“I hear it said that leaders should keep their ears to the ground. All I can say is that the British nation will find it very hard to look up to the leaders who are detected in that somewhat ungainly posture. Nothing is more dangerous…than to live in the temperamental atmosphere of a Gallup Poll–always feeling one’s pulse and taking one’s temperature.”
The Apostle Paul, in Romans 12:2 made this important statement about not going with the flow, but rather going with God in all things:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
According to Jesus, it’s what God thinks of us that matters, not what others think .
Remember, it was Jesus who taught us to pray in private where no one could see us, rather than in front of people in an attempt to get credit for being spiritual (Matt. 6:6).
In other words, we are to live for God and not others.
So here’s the question: Do we strive to get attention and applause from others without considering what God thinks?
Jesus invites us to let go of that competitive struggle and to trust that God’s opinion of us is the only one that ultimately counts.
How would our lives be different if we truly lived our life to an audience of One?
Certainly our sense of pride, envy and competition would fade, because we would no longer need to worry about proving ourselves to others.
I don’t know who wrote it, but this two-line poem does a great job at redirecting a person’s mind to be about living for God’s sole attention:
Only one life, ’twill soon be past
Only what’s done for Christ will last.