50 Shades of Gray Don’t EXIST!

Shades of Gray are what make us just a fair bit of nutty.  Shades of gray are what enables us to say, “Yes, but….” in virtually any situation.  The world is nothing but a melting pot of black and white, and it has swirled down into a large bubbling vat of......Gray!

               Here’s the thing.  There are many shades of colors in this intriguing world we temporarily call home.  In fact, I take much pleasure in the magnificent colors I have found in this life.  But, one thing is true, and that is there are not shades of gray. 

               There’s Black and there’s white.  There’s right and wrong.  There’s good and evil.  There’s love and there’s hate.  The space in between these polar opposites are not shades of gray.  They are simply other stations of the same poles. 

               Jesus called us to love.  He didn’t call us to the middle ground.  He didn’t call us to various stages of ‘like,’ found in between love and hate.  No, He called us to love. 

              He told us to “go, and sin no more.”  He didn’t say, “Hey, please feel free to explore the ‘gray’ areas between obedience and sin.”  We are either obedient or we are sinning.  The gray area doesn’t exist, except in our minds.  It is there when we are trying to rationalize our behaviors, and when we attempt to justify our wrongful desires. 

              Yep, when we humans want to do something we will grab our mental measuring sticks so fast it would make the devil’s head spin in total glee.  We whip that puppy out and start measuring.  “Well, if I do this, but not that.”  “Well, she did this, I’m not that bad; I could never do that!”  And on, and on, until we feel just fine about what we want to do.  Which is as it should be, right?  I mean, it’s our life.  Shouldn’t we be allowed to do whatever we want, please ourselves, follow our bliss? 

               The answer is yes.  We can do what we want.  It’s our choice.  Woohoo!!!  But, there’s just one tiny thing…..and it’s not gray….it’s white.

               TRUTH.  See, the truth is, you can do whatever you want, but you cannot avoid the consequences.  They aren’t gray, either.  They are very much black and white.  Every single solitary choice we make has a consequence.  A good one, or a bad one.

               So, you may be asking, what is my point.  My point is this.  While everyone is having moral meltdowns, facebook standoffs, and blogging duels over whether a movie should be viewed or not, it feels like everyone is literally backstroking through shaded seas of gray! 

                This is not the first, nor will it be the last book published that has crazy amounts of erotica and highly questionable content, nor will the movie be the last.  So, instead of fighting it so hard, and alienating, why are we not reaching out in love?  Why are we not introducing people to Jesus, to Holy Spirit?  Why are we flinging mud and staking the moral high ground?  And, I’m not saying moral high ground isn’t a great place to live, it is.  However, black and white dictates that we react this way to all of the other gross offenders we have in our midst, right?  Black / White.  No shades of gray.

                We are called to a standard of chaste behavior, lust-free living, and yet I challenge you to find one primetime tv show that doesn’t have racy scenes, sexual innuendos, scantily clad actors, etc.  Our society is literally permeated with SEX.  Good sex, bad sex, old sex, young sex, legal sex, illegal sex, sexual predators, and sexual deviants. SEX, Sex, sex………it sure seems to be what makes America go round.

               With all of that said, I suppose you are thinking I am saying we should just do nothing, like it just doesn’t matter.  Nope!  Not what I’m saying, at all!

               How about this.  Let’s look at ourselves in the mirror.  Let’s ask Jesus to show us the spots in our own hearts that need dusting, scrubbing, or a complete overhaul.  Let us ask forgiveness for the places we fall short in this non-chaste society we live in.  Let us walk out each day as humbly, and holy as we can.  We are all a mess!  Each and every one of us.  Thankfully, as long as we press in to God, and listen to Holy Spirit, allowing Him to guide us, we can grow.  And you know what will happen then?

               Our Light will grow brighter and more inviting!  And as it does, it will draw people to Him and they will want to be clean, and chaste, and humble, and holy, and LOVED.

               And then…..they will no longer want to live in the Shades of Gray!