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Audience of One

On a mostly weekly basis, I write a thought or two out for teens to read, along with weekly announcements and perhaps a joke or two. I assume, stupidly, that at least some of them are reading it. A couple of weeks ago, I put it to the test. I was teaching on forgiveness and used the Old Testament idea of the Cities of Refuge to do so. This is an idea I blogged about just a few weeks before that.

After teaching about the idea, I asked the teens if they had ever heard about this idea before. You've never seen so many blank faces looking back at you. Not one even vaguely recognized the idea. This made me wonder about what I'm including in the weekly email. If a man writes about something and no one is there to read it, was I really that funny?

It reminds me of the classic question like that; if a man speaks in the forest and no woman is around to hear him, is he still wrong?

Actually, it does make me stop and think of the kind of person I am even when no one is looking. Because the truth is that Someone is always looking. God is not like some cosmic cop, but He does love me enough to keep watch. For instance Psalm 46:1 reminds us that God is always there to help us when we're in trouble. Or as Hagar said in Genesis 16:13, He is the God who sees me.

We should not think that God only sees us when we need Him to. Much better than any superhero, God is always around. So whether we feel alone and ignored, or bothered and busy, we should always remember that we do have an audience. It is His opinion that ultimately matters and His approval we should seek.
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