When You Compete, God Smiles: A Fuller Picture of Audience of One
When I first learned the concept of Ao1 (Audience of One), an image formed in my mind. A stadium with one fan (God) who was sitting back watching me compete. At first, this image helped me worship while playing sport with new found freedom. However, over time I began to compete to please and impress the Audience of One. I desperately wanted to make God proud through my athletic performance, effort, and sportsmanship. Like a shot that misses just wide of the goal, I meant well but my aim was slightly off.
As I competed, the face of God would rise and fall depending on my actions and how well I implemented faith and sport principles. It became a new type of performance to evoke a proud demeanor of God. That’s not surprising because athletes are trained to respond to the demeanor of coaches, parents, and fans. Every glance to the bench or the crowd during a sporting event will tell an athlete whether or not they are performing well. Approval is written on the face of those watching.
Athlete, how does this impact your image of God – your Audience of One?
For a Christian athlete, it is advantageous to play while considering that God’s opinion is what matters most. But what is God’s opinion of us? Like any fan in the stands or coach on the sidelines, God’s face displays his opinion. So, what is God’s facial expression while we compete? The answer to this question will give us a fuller picture of what it means to play with an Audience of One.
Joy with God’s Face
My niece loves FaceTime. It’s not uncommon for my phone to ring on a weekend with an eager six year old on the other side. She is not satisfied with a phone call – no, it has to be FaceTime. Moreover, my face needs to be actively giving her feedback as she is playing and dialoguing with me. She wants my full attention, my facial expressions, and my presence. I honestly love it as I simply delight in being her aunt. You can see by the look on her face and mine that FaceTiming brings us joy.
Jim Wilder, a self described neuro-theologian, often writes about this connection between joy and relationship. Wilder cites research from a neuroscientist to prove his point. Dr. Schore, a neuroscientist from UCLA, spent years studying the brain and the effects of joy. He defines joy as this: “what I feel when I see the sparkle in someone’s eye that conveys ‘I’m happy to be with you”
By this definition, the experience of joy is linked with belonging, connection, and the accepting presence of another.
In the Bible, God’s face and presence is also connected to joy.
“You lead me in the path of life. I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight.” Psalm 16:11
The Hebrew word for ‘presence’ here can also mean ‘face’. According to the NET Study Bible, this verse can be translated as “abundance of joy is with your face.”
The Psalmist is communicating the same concept as the neuroscientist. We can experience an abundant amount of joy knowing God’s face is one of delight towards us. God’s eyes sparkle because God is happy to be with us. That is what can bring us joy.
In Numbers, the Lord gives a priestly blessing to His people that also communicates the visual of God’s face and presence.
“The Lord said to Moses, tell Aaron and his sons. This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
May The Lord bless you and keep you;
May The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you
May The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
After rescuing the Israelites from oppressive bondage in Egypt, God makes a binding covenant with the people. Following the daring rescue, the people of Israel begin wandering in the wilderness doubting their salvation experience. While in the wilderness, God instructs the priests to declare this blessing over the people after atonement is made. The declaration is not a simple prayer or hope – it’s a promised result of restored relationship with God.
The priestly promise communicated as the result of atonement is one of joy centered on God’s presence among them. God wanted them to know that His eyes sparkled because he is happy to be with them.
Consider for a moment what this feels like – that God’s eyes sparkle at you because he is happy to be with you.
Playing With An Audience of One
If we want to compete with joy, it would benefit us to reconsider the image, character, and facial expressions of our Audience of One. As mentioned in the passages above, God’s face is one of delight toward His people. This is not something we earn. It’s a promise of God! Because we have atonement through Jesus Christ, we do not have to perform to earn God’s shining face. God’s loving presence can bring us joy as we compete knowing God is with us regardless of the score or how well we execute plays.
Athlete, remember that you don’t compete with just any Audience of One. You compete with the full attention, delight, and presence of the One who loves you dearly. Your performance does not change the sparkle in God’s eyes toward you.
Recognize God’s Face When You Compete
This concept of God’s face shining regardless of performance is often counter to the sports culture that trains athletes from a young age to tie their performance to their value or acceptance. Because we are so deeply formed from this experience, we must intentionally train against it. A spiritual discipline or practice like meditation could help.
Meditation is becoming a popular pre game ritual for many athletes. Often shown before games, we see athletes or coaches with their eyes closed meditating as a way to bring peace before competition. The Christian athlete or coach can take this a step further.
Christian meditation can be defined as “a long, ardent gaze at God, his work and his Word. Slowing down and giving one’s undivided attention to God lies at the core of Christian meditation.”
What would it look like to take a few moments prior to competition to gaze at God’s delighted face toward you?
Including imagery in meditation practices may be a new and unfamiliar concept but one that could prove helpful in centering on the very real presence of God.
Here is a guided meditation practice an athlete or coach can do prior to competition:
Create space for silence and focused attention.
Slowly read Psalm 16:11 or Numbers 6:24-26.
Close your eyes and imagine Jesus near you. What is His face toward you right now? Take note of how that feels. Spend a few moments dwelling on this image.
End your meditation time by saying a brief prayer of gratitude and asking for the Holy Spirit to help you remember this while you compete.
As you seek to compete for an Audience of One, remember this:
God’s face is toward you. God is happy to be with you. God’s face is smiling upon you. Nothing that happens within the bounds of a sporting event will change that. God delights in being with you while you play.
May this fill your heart with joy as you compete with an audience of one God who is happy to be with you.
