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Fifty Shades of Whatever

Fifty Shades of Whatever

I’ll admit I’m pretty tired of the brouhaha regarding the Fifty Shades series. I have seen posts from Christian women on social media praising the storyline and its romantic tones, yet pornography, in any form, has no place in the life of a Christian. Period.

I’ve heard murmurings of a second film set to release in the upcoming months and while I haven’t seen the movie or read the books I did take a recent trip to Barnes and Noble to read a few random pages so I could comment with a bit of knowledge. I don’t need to watch the films or read the books in full to know this is not something I should be entertaining. What I saw on those few pages was appalling and it broke my heart for my friends who are entranced with the writings.

My own past is littered with some novels I shouldn’t have read, things that awakened feelings in me physically that should have been saved for my marriage bed. I’ve always been a vigorous reader and as a teen I read anything I could get my hands on, starting with innocent romance novels aimed towards people my age and working up to those with scantily clad women on the covers. I’m glad for the nudging of the Holy Spirit, warning me that this behavior was not good for my heart, the heart belonging to God.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Proverbs 4:8 (NIV)

I wasn’t doing a good job of guarding my heart when I was reading about the sexual escapades of others. I also wasn’t preparing for an undefiled marriage bed as Hebrews 13:4 prompts because I was bringing unrealistic expectations, imaginings of what I’d read, into what should have been discovered on my own.

I’ve long since turned my back on books, movies, and other media that make me feel things only my husband should make me feel. I’m honoring my husband when he alone turns me on. Nothing or no one else should have that effect on me. This is what keeps the marriage bed pure. If I engage in media that causes me to desire sex, even sex with my husband, I am no different than a man who views graphic pornography and then beds his wife. Jesus talked about this in Matthew:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV)

These verses are not only for men. Lust is defined as, “a very strong sexual desire.” As a wife the only person I should have these desires for is my husband. As a woman who calls herself a Christian I should have nothing to do with this type of behavior. I’ve been called a prude for my stance and have been ridiculed even by other people in ministry but I can’t discount what God says in His word. Why should I be concerned with what people think of me when my goal is to please God? His opinion of me is far more important than the opinion of those around me.

It’s written time and again in the Bible that we are to be separate from the world, to be different from it. Why then do so many of us ignore these words and instead of yielding to the spirit of God follow what’s popular around us?

“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world –the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life –comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

Our time on this planet is relatively short in the scheme of eternity. What we do here, what we engage in, has eternal ramifications. Are we spending our time getting close to the One we desire to be with forever or are we spending our time doing what we want? These particular books and movies will not allow you to completely serve God because these things will linger in your heart and He won’t have full reign. He cannot bless you in the ways He wants to unless you’re surrendered to Him. God has so much more for you and He wants your life to be more than what it is. Growing closer to Him and allowing Him to clean cobwebs and dirt from your heart and life will leave room for Him to begin the work He desires to do in and through you. Living a victorious life means leaving some things behind. Beginning each day with a prayer of surrender to God makes it easier to do this because I find I’m more mindful of the decisions I make regarding whatever comes my way.

“Lord, have your way in my life today. Be glorified in all I do and I say. Be the Lord of my life and let others see your light in me.”

Remember, the world is watching, be the light.



Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 8, 2017 at 3:40 PM

    Good word. Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  2. LeeAnn@Encouragement Is ContagiousDecember 17, 2017 at 9:45 PM

    Thank you for sharing. So we'll put into words about what we let our eyes see, whether in be through reading, t.v., movies etc.....

    ReplyDelete

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