This last weekend, I had the privilege of sharing at Central Sunrise Mountain Pastor Nick’s powerful message about living for an audience of One (who is God), specifically on the topic of judgment (if you haven’t seen his message yet, make sure to watch it in the Central App).
We, as created human beings, were not divinely formed and sent out to judge the world and each other, but rather to love and create. The seat of judgment is God’s alone. The more we focus on the flaws of others, the more our gaze is averted from God, and the less aware we become of our own flaws and vices.
Self-awareness and our relationship with God are not the only things weakened and compromised by our human tendency to hijack God’s role of judgment, but it can also conflict with, and contradict, the very purpose of our existence, which is to love God, love others, and to create:
“So God created man and woman and shaped them with his image inside them. In his own beautiful image, he created his masterpiece. Yes, male and female he created them. And God blessed them in his love, saying, “Reproduce and be fruitful! Populate the earth and subdue it!” (Genesis 1:27-28 TPT)
Being formed in the “image of God” means we are the only created beings in the universe who uniquely reflect God’s attributes. These include artistry, creativity, and the ability to bring about new life in an ordered and intentional way. But when we choose to tear down, demolish, and pull apart God’s creation through criticism, unforgiveness, and keeping score, we do the very opposite of God’s intended purpose for His children.
This week, a powerful way of keeping in mind your purpose and calling in life is to ask yourself this question any time criticism, discontentment, or fault-finding enters your mind: Am I building up God’s kingdom here on earth (creativity and construction)? Or am I tearing down God’s creation in this world (disparagement and destruction)? What if we truly lived out the words found in the book of Ephesians, addressed to Christ-followers, so that they may live their lives set apart, for an audience of one?
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29 ESV)
Living for an audience of One, means trading in our TikTok tactics, ditching our Instagram instincts, and finally retiring our Facebook factionism. Sitting in the seat of judgment is an easy and comfortable place to be, because it requires no effort on our part. But what if, instead of screaming opinions into the abyss of social media, we tried to become the change we wished to see in the world? It is one thing to complain about unhoused people within your community; it is an entirely different thing to learn what services are available, and how to best resource someone struggling to find shelter.
What if, as Christ-followers, every criticism that invaded our minds instead became a moment for prayer? What if every assumption we made instead became a chance to practice compassion? What if every judgment became an opportunity to trust in God, His sovereignty and goodness? What if every complaint instead became a step of action to change our world, to make it more like Heaven?