Sunday, March 23, 2014

Audience of One

It's been a while since I've written anything via the Disciple Us blog.  I have been tweeting and posting thoughts on discipleship regularly, but that has the extent of my efforts specific to this ministry.  So much has changed in the last several months that made me question if I should keep this thing alive.  There are so many great resources out there that are doing amazing things for discipleship. Is this effort making a difference?

I realized that I often default to numbers and statistics as a way to gauge how effective an effort is. How many followers? How many likes? How many reposts? I was humbled, recently, in having this method of measurement crushed by one person's sharing of how my effort impacted them.
"You have blessed me. Thank you for touching my life." 
One life touched. That one life matters! Enough that something I said or did helped encourage them and bring light. How can I deny the effectiveness of that?  I have been that one life that resulted from another person's obedience to doing what God prompted them to do. No number or statistic can take away the importance of that, to me!

So many that God has called throughout time never lived to see the results their calling and ministry made. Even Isaiah, when he received his call, was told no one would listen! (Isaiah 6:9-10) The measure of worth our efforts make in this life are sometimes stored as treasures in heaven. And often, we don't see the full impact following God's calling on our life has made.

Taking this a step further, Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawk's quarterback, said in an interview that when he goes out on the field, he plays "for an audience of One."  Despite the thousands of incredibly loud fans, and a coach and team that depend on him for excellence, he still plays for One - the only One that matters.

I'm no athlete, but applying this to the things God has lead me to do, I realized I can't be outwardly motivated and gauge success by outward indicators.  I do what I do for an audience of One.  And He will do with it what needs to be done.

The vision of Disciple Us may not have come to fruition in the way I dreamed it, but it doesn't make it any less important to the One who put it on my heart to do.  And so, for Him, I keep learning and sharing, then let Him do the rest.