Impromptu concerts and bitter substitutes
I came across an interesting series of videos on YouTube recently. A young guy with a guitar walks up to random strangers – typically young women – who are sitting in public and asks what their favorite song is. Whatever they say, he plays and sings it for them. He’s an above-average-looking guy, but his singing talent is very good. The premise of his videos is the same every time, but I’ve found the people’s reactions to be quite fascinating.
First off, the people are always grateful for the impromptu mini-concert. Obviously, they were not expecting to be serenaded by a random stranger with one of their favorite songs. When he’s done playing, he gets up and wishes them a good rest of their day. He doesn’t ask for anything or make any romantic advances. Many tell him “thanks, you too” and that’s the end. However, many of the young women are so shocked by his performance that you can watch them swoon over him as he plays and sings. They stop whatever they’re doing and either begin to subconsciously adjust their outfit or start fiddling with their hair.
Now, whenever he serenades a couple, their reaction isn’t so much toward him as it is toward each other. The song becomes a catalyst that brings them together, instead of drawing them in closer to the singer. You can tell that their relationship buckets have been filled by each other – there is no room for anyone else. The flip-side, though, with the young women who become instantly infatuated with this crooner would indicate that their relationship bucket is running near empty – and the sudden appearance of a talented guy who sings a part of a song for them makes them want more. Many ask him for his Snap, phone number, or even if he’s available for coffee right then. They don’t know anything about him or if he’s a quality person, but they are drawn away by the attention he’s unexpectedly given them.
And I don’t make these observations as a knock on these women, either. I have known guys who are so starved for positive attention, that if a girl so much as smiles at them, they suddenly believe they have found “the one.” Being in a relationship deficit can make any of us vulnerable to unexpected situations and cause us to overestimate the “good” of a person or situation.
A couple of days ago, I came across this proverb and instantly thought of these videos:
Proverbs 27:7
A person who is full tramples on a honeycomb,
but to a hungry person, any bitter thing is sweet.
The singer may be a great guy, but to the girl who is fulfilled in her relationship, she has no room for him, regardless of how talented he is. However, to those who are relationally starved, they instantly craved more of his attention – even though they didn’t know if his companionship would be bitter or sweet.
From here, I couldn’t help but think about my relationship with God. When He and I spend time together, I am so full relationally at a deep-soul-level that when distractions or temptations come my way, I am not swayed. However, if I have been neglecting to spend time with Him – reading the Scriptures to find out about Him, praying to Him about what’s on my heart and asking to be shown what’s on His, and spending time in community with other believers – if I am not pursuing Him, then I am easily swayed and taken away by time wasters, twisted emotions, and self-centered thoughts.
When I find my “why” and purpose in the one who designed those things in me, I am too full of Him to be distracted by anything else. God pursues relationship with us because that’s what He made us for – we are at our designed best when we are in full, intimate relationship with Him. So, please take a practical step to engage with Him today. Our best defense against a life of bitter substitutes isn’t to work harder to avoid them, but to be so full in our relationship with God that any substitute won’t satisfy.
Keep Pressing,
Ken