The NBA playoffs are here, and will soon be gone. I am not normally a basketball fan, but each year I enjoy watching the playoffs and finals as teams are playing to keep their seasons alive. I turn on the game, and I expect to be entertained. Most playoff games fulfill that. Sometimes however you will see a blowout, where one team just beats the socks off the other. When this happens, it isn’t fun for anybody to watch. The suspense is gone, all the excitement is drained right out of the game, and the television audience rapidly starts fading away as fans (such as myself) begin channel surfing. Just trying to find something to occupy our minds.

I do not believe there to be anything wrong with entertainment from time to time. I believe it is good for all of us to have something that isn’t “work-related” for us to turn to periodically to give rest for our minds. However, isn’t it crazy just how “entertainment driven” we have become as a people? It seems that every year the super bowl sets a new record for the millions of people who watch the game. Sporting arenas are always sold out at their games, movie theaters are packed, nice restaurants are overflowing with customers, and vacation spots are hard to book. We are a people who crave entertainment, and self gratification.

We do not only crave it, we also like to give it.

How often do you make decisions based on your projected reaction of others? You see kids at school who will do just about anything, if they think it will make someone laugh. You see parents breaking the bank to buy that perfect vacation or present for their children. Because they are sure that this will make them happy. You see young men and women who spend hours planning out what they are going to wear, what they are going to do, what movie they are going to see. They pour so much time and energy into a date to make sure that by the end of the date, they have made the other person happy. Again, I do not believe there is anything wrong with some of these things (in moderation) but it should cause us to pause and consider, “Who am I really trying to please?”

One of my favorite acapella songs is by the group cornerstone. It is entitled “Audience of One” some of the words are posted below:

What I want, doesn’t matter
What I do, depends on you
What I become, that’s what matters
What I want doesn’t matter
What I do depends on you
What I become, that’s what matters

Who am I to chose?
Without your lead I lose.
That’s why I live
To please an audience of One

This is a humbling song. A great reminder, that this life that I live is truly not about me! This is one of the songs that was played at my wedding. As my wife and I chose this song, to remind us, and pledge before others that even though we were making a life-long commitment to each other, our ultimate goal was to commit our lives to our heavenly father.

scriptures to consider:

Joshua 24:15-…… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Matthew 6:33-But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Acts 5:29-But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

Galatians 1:10-For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

In Him,
Troy

“Heavenly Father, thank you for this day. Thank you for the blessings of life. Father thank you for allowing me to be so abundantly blessed, with my beautiful wife, daughter, and another baby on the way. Help me to be a shining example to all who are around me. Help me Father to always remember that it is you that I live to please. Grant me the strength to please you today. In Jesus name…”