If You Could Only Keep One

The other day, a few friends and I found ourselves in a lively text conversation. We live hundreds of miles apart now, but technology has a way of making old friendships feel close.

I posed a simple question:

If you could only keep one for the rest of your life—music or sports—which would you choose?

No more listening to music if you choose sports. No more watching or following sports if you choose music.

It sounds like a silly hypothetical until you actually have to answer it.

For many of us, sports have been woven into the fabric of our lives. I grew up watching ABC’s Wide World of Sports. The intro is engrained in my memory. We remember certain games and championships, heartbreaks and heroes. We may even have established traditions. All we have to do is look back at the recent World Cup to know that sports bring people together. Sports give us stories to tell and memories to share.

But music…

Music does something different.

A song can transport us back to childhood. A hymn can steady our hearts when everything else feels uncertain. A melody can express joy, grief, hope, or longing when words seem inadequate. Music fills weddings and funerals, road trips and quiet mornings, celebrations and prayerful moments. Music helps us remember who we were, where we were, and what we were doing. Music can connect two people in a way nothing else can, including sports.

For followers of Jesus, music carries an even deeper significance. Long before most believers owned a Bible, they learned theology by singing it. The Psalms were Israel’s hymnbook. Paul encouraged the church to sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” as a way of teaching and encouraging one another (Colossians 3:16).

Faith has always had a soundtrack.

When I considered the question, my answer surprised me less than I expected.

I’d choose music.

Not because I don’t love sports. I do. I enjoy the competition, the drama, the teamwork, and the stories as much as the next person. However, music has accompanied every season of my life. I grew up playing piano and wanting to be a musician. I worked in radio for a while because of my love of music. I know music like some guys know stats.

Music deepens my worship, encourages me in uncertainty, comforts me in grief, and reminds me of God’s faithfulness

Sports entertains. Music transforms.

Perhaps the better question isn’t whether you’d choose music or sports.

Maybe it’s this:

What is shaping your heart?

We’re all listening to something. The voices we allow into our lives, whether through music, media, or the culture around us, are forming our loves, our hopes, and our perspective.

I encourage you to choose wisely.

If you’re a follower of Christ, make sure the soundtrack of your life regularly reminds you of the One who is worthy of all praise.

What about you?

If you could only keep one for the rest of your life—music or sports—which would you choose? I’d love to hear your answer and why. Drop your response in the comments.