No Shades of Gray

The other day I saw a long line of women waiting on a sale.  The line went out the door, along the sidewalk, around the building and then some.  These ladies had smiles as wide as the Hudson.  They were excited, eager and some had waited for hours.  No, this was not a black Friday sale, a 20% off sale or even a shoe sale!  This was the Fifty Shades of Gray book sale. 

I have never understood that.  In my career I often heard "You are so black and white."  Either/Or with no in between.  So when I hear "there's a gray area" I think that someone is trying to justify their position or decision.

Rules would never have been made if there were the possibility of "extending" their boundary.  Yet I have often heard things like "It's not always black and white"...yes it is!  There are some cases where there just isn't any gray area.

You may wonder how I know of this book or it's contents.  Well, this weekend in my practicum class of Biblical Counseling, a scenario was used from this book with the language cleaned up a little. 

I have not read the book nor do I intend to.  I would not judge anyone who does.  Each of us is responsible for our own actions.  Each of us has their own relationship with Christ and therefore, we search our hearts and make that decision on our own.  There was so much hoop-la about this book, it aroused much curiousity in women, and even though it was advertised as a "hot, steamy" book and that alone drew alot of women to it.

In the Old Testament, Daniel was chosen for King Nebuchadnezzar's royal court.  As a stipulation, Daniel was to eat thier food and drink from the royal table.  But the Bible tells us that "...Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food or wine..." [Daniel 1:8]

That not only relates to Daniel or to food but to us and what we put in our hearts and mind.  If we are willing to submit to gray areas in life, what other area will  we justify as gray?  We are children of God and while many of us will fall, there is forgiveness in Christ.  We must however "resolve not to defile" our thoughts, our actions or our walk with the ways of man.   Paul said in 1 Corthians 7:23 "You were bought with a price, do not become slaves of man."

So how do we know if we are stepping into a gray area?  Look into God's Word.  It is very clear about our life as we are to live it being new in Christ. 

God's Word is black and white...no shades of gray.

Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden.  For the Lord is a consuming fire, a jealous God.  Deuteronomy 4:23-24