Audience of One

I think as college students we feel pressured to perform for a variety of people.  We feel that we need to meet certain standards that our parents would approve of.  We need to perform academically to meet the standards of our professors.  We even feel driven to perform a certain way in the social atmosphere to gain the approval of our peers.  It seems we spend our whole life seeking approval.  We need to be affirmed and we often look to our “audience” for that affirmation.  Likewise when we feel we don’t meet the standards of our “audience”, it can be devastating.  In other words our life is like a rollercoaster the ups and downs brought on by the approval and disproval of others.

            Because we have become accustom to this pressure to perform for our worldly audience, I think it can be a hard transition to perform only for Jesus.  That being said, there is so much peace in only needing to perform for Christ.  When we look to Jesus for love and acceptance we will never be disappointed.  Making the shift from a worldly audience to our Heavenly one can be a challenge, because even though we know it is better for us to perform for Christ and not the world, we still find ourselves caring about the world’s opinion and wondering if we measure up.  I felt this chapter was calling us to fully commit to only performing for God.  Desiring to please Him and seeking affirmation from Him. 

            If we are striving to perform for an audience of one, what are some ways we can deal with the opinions of the world?

            How can an audience of one relieve some of the pressure of performing?