APPLAUSE As I watch the Detroit Tigers on television, the roar of the crowd is deafening. Every hit, catch and run is applauded by the fans with Tiger towels waving from the stands. Sometimes applause excites and spurs us into action. Certainly the roaring crowds at any sporting event is energizing and motivating to the players. We live in a world where popularity, fame and recognition are worshiped and applauded. Our worth and happiness is based upon our popularity status with the masses. A performer’s ambition becomes driven by the applause. Look no further than Lady Gaga’s latest release, APPLAUSE. “I live for the applause, applause, applause I live for the applause-plause, live for the applause-plause Live for the way that cheer and scream for me The applause, applause, applause.” If we live our life for applause, what happens when the applause fades? What happens when we grow old, when beauty loses luster and our agile bones become brittle and broken? Make no mistake, it will happen. At some point in time, we will each face the question, “Whose applause did I live for?” “They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” (John 12:43) I challenge you to identify your audience. When the standing ovations and applause of our life performance is over and recognition and kudos are no longer remembered, what will be God’s final verdict of our worthiness? Did you live for men and the attention of others, or for the thunderous applause of Heaven? At the end of life it is the eternal things that will matter. When a self-love obsession (pride) becomes the focus of our life and serves as a form of empowerment, we are destined for a fall. It signals it is time to assess the directives motivating our self-serving need for applause; a need to be in the human limelight. There is only one “limelight” performer who can truly empower us and is found worthy of a standing ovation. His name is God, Yahweh; the greatest performer of all time. “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18) Consider His creation performance, or the parting of the Red Sea. Then there was His performance at the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. And He has never charged for His performance of transforming broken hearts. The Bible is filled with God’s performances and they all command applause and praise. But God doesn’t desire applause based on His performance; He wants applause, a standing ovation, based on nothing less than our appreciation. Many individuals have worked hard to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, or to receive a Lifetime Award, or clutch a golden Oscar. God does not frown on any recognition and applause we receive for our accomplishments and outstanding performances in life. In fact, you will find Him in your cheering section. He does, however, require that you desire His praise over mans’ praise because all the applause we receive on earth is temporary. What really matters is God’s after death question, “Whose applause did you live for?”
Posted on: Fri, 18 Oct 2013 12:11:38 +0000
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