one

"How many showed up?" I asked, referring to the Bible study.  "Just a few," he replied. 

"But you've prepared so much material. Kind of wasted," I suggested. "You didn't have to work so hard!" 

"Well! I did prepare for 20. But, I would have prepared it the same way for an audience of one."

All too often, we forget there is always someone who is watching our performance. One person in the Bible was keenly aware that he was always in the presence of the "audience of One".  His boss's wife made advances to Joseph day after day...

One day Joseph went into the house to do his work as usual and was the only man in the house at that time. His master's wife grabbed his coat and said to him, "Come and have sexual relations with me."  But Joseph left his coat in her hand and ran out of the house. (Genesis 39:10-12 NCV)

True integrity of character does not change whether one is alone or in public. Joseph's conviction and desire to please the “audience of One” was there long before he entered into her house.

Does the intensity of our effort and the degree of our faithfulness and commitment fluctuate because we know we are being observed?  Is our level of excitement and participation tied to the size of the attendance?

To the "audience of One", there are only two kinds of faithfulness - "total" and "lack of".  To our Savior, to our “audience of One”, however, only one of those choices is acceptable - "absolute, total faithfulness".  

Today, may we be faithful in every circumstance of our lives - whether there is an audience of many, or just the "Audience of One".

-dr.jeff lee.