Woke: Living for an Audience of One in a Cancel CultureChikamu

An Audience of One

As believers, we live for an audience of one. Galatians 1:10 makes it clear that we do not live for the approval of men, only God. Over the past few days, we have seen that modeled in Daniel's life. In Exodus 32, we also see it modeled in Moses' life. 

Although God had gone to great lengths to set the Israelites free, their impatience and arrogance led them to create an alternate idol. Like Daniel, Moses purposed to live set apart amid depravity. Consequently, his anger burned at the people's compromise. So much so that in verse 20, he destroys their idol, grinds it to powder, scatters it on the water, and makes them drink it. Talk about boldness and resistance!

The bible is full of accounts of men and women who refused to compromise. Daniel and Moses are great examples, but there is also the ultimate role model – Jesus Christ. In John 5:17-20, Christ sums up His devotion by asserting that He only does what the Father wants Him to do. That should be the heart-cry of every believer. When we live for an audience of one, unafraid of what the culture can do to us, we will see the following fruit:

1. Fellow believers spurred on to boldness and encouraged to live out their faith (Hebrews 10:24-25);

2. Unbelievers experiencing an encounter with God because of the seeds sown by our witness (Luke 4:18-19); and

3. The satisfaction of knowing that God takes delight in our obedience (1 Samuel 15:22).

The truth is that nowhere in scripture does it say that resistance to compromise will be easy. We are reminded in John 16:33 that in this world we will have trouble. However, we also have a promise that God has overcome the world, and He will never leave or forsake us. 

Just like Daniel and Moses, our victory is complete. Knowing this means we no longer have to compromise. In fact, an unbending posture demonstrates that greater is God in us than he that is in the world.