If you don't know, South by Southwest (SXSW) was last week. If you aren't familiar with SXSW, it is a massive music, film, and interactive festival that takes place over two weeks. It's the biggest festival in the world of it's kind and it's hosted in the heart of the city I live in and love so dearly, Austin, Texas. As you can imagine, I was so ridiculously excited to experience SX this year. It was my first year to attend the festival, and I have been looking forward to it since the day I moved to Austin. And let me tell you, it was everything I'd hoped it would be and more! I saw some incredible shows and attended some awesome events for 8 days straight - I barely had time to blink, much less sleep. But as incredible as SX was, it definitely had it's flaws (hard to believe, right?!). Ready, set, time to unpack what I'm getting at.
So here's the deal. I had an incredible, off-the-chain, amazing, never-want-it-to-end week at SX. Are you ready for this?
BUT...(that's a huge but, am I right?)
I put God on the back burner all week. I put concerts, events, and parties in front of spending time with Him. Talk about a dumb thing to do! But I did. And by the end of the last night of the festival, I felt a huge sense of emptiness - I just wanted to go back to my normal life so that I could spend time with Him!! I MISSED my heavenly Dad. And I missed Him so much that I was happy that SX was over. I never thought I'd say those words because it was such an incredible time, but no matter how awesome it was, it will NEVER compare to the closeness and intimacy of walking, day-to-day with the Lord.
Can I get an AMEN?
But for real. During that week, I began to think and act and see things differently than I would have any other time. Why? It's because I told God that SXSW was more important than Him. It stinks to say it - I think we all know that there is nothing about that that makes me sound like a "good" Christian. But it's the truth. Whether it was an accident or not, it's the downright truth. A truth that I absolutely hate to admit - it makes my heart mega sad to think that that's the case. But like any of my other blog posts, I refuse to sugar coat anything. Besides...somebody's gotta hold me accountable, right? It might as well be on display for all the world to hold me accountable!
Don't we all have these moments or things in our lives that seem to consume so much of our time and energy sometimes? And they are typically things that God has given us desires for. For example, I LOVE music, it's a God-given desire. However, it turns into an idol within seconds, just like the music festival part of SXSW did. See what I mean? Within a second, we consciously choose to pick something or someone over God. We know it's wrong!! But it stilllllll happens.
Paul says it perfectly -
"The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don't really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don't do it. Instead, I do what I hate." -Romans 7:15We are human beings, dadgummit. We are going to struggle with sin. But the difference is when you continually choose to envelop yourself in it as opposed to fight against it. I did for a week straight - and while it was unbelievably fun, it was also unbelievably UNfulfilling in more ways than I can even count.
Wanna know what is more fulfilling than anything this world could ever provide? JESUS.
"Now we live with great expectation, and we have a PRICELESS inheritance -- an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay." -1 Peter: 3-4That right there is the kind of inheritance and fulfillment I want. None of the stuff that feels kinda good at the time. That gets old real quick. But God's word and His eternal love and grace? Count me in. THAT'S what I want to be a part of.
I thank God every day for His crazy amount of grace - Lord knows I don't deserve it! But that's what makes our God so incredibly good and so worthy of our praise. So good that I sometimes just start crying because I'm in awe and can't help but take in how good He is (God gave me a LOT of tears. Whatever.)
"We will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about His power and His mighty wonders." -Psalm 78:4
The one thing I know, is to
keep the main thing the MAIN THING.
Blessings,
Katie
