Beware the Grey
I have been advised by someone very wise when it comes to media, journalism and blogs to not be all “Godly light” all the time; that I need to be real and not put my readers to sleep. I’m all for this. I like being real. I like shattering whatever ridiculous expectations we have of ourselves because we compare ourselves to others. I enjoy showing you my messy life, my crazy kids and my disgusting messes. I like to laugh about it. We are all people; messed up sinners. We are all sloppy in some areas and distinctively precise in others.
As for the Godly light and with the election tomorrow in mind, I have two things to say. First of all, Satan is out there. He’s out and about and incredibly good and making us use our emotions as excuses to do wrong.
He can make us rationalize the worst sins. He’s really, really good at grey. He’s good at blurring the black and white lines of right and wrong, of biblical and worldly, and exceptional at making reality look like something it’s not. He’s the expert in changing your lenses and making you look short sighted and only to the current situation, robbing us of our faith in the long term. He uses fear and anxiety, moments of joy, feelings of jealousy and anger, your sense of vengeance and maybe even your version of justice, he'll use the people you meet or live with; he’ll use it all. If you let him. If you let him and misplace the trust that should be in God alone. If you let him, you’ll find yourself excusing little things that you do one by one. They’ll be little things that you knew, even when you were so young and small, were wrong. You’ll do them anyway. The little things, bit by bit, turn your whole world into something alterable by your emotions and subsequent choices.
You begin to rely solely on yourself, on your opinions, on your emotions. Sometimes, with the help of Satan, we even use terrible and haunting personal experiences to fuel our reasoning; experiences that could have been used to God’s glory. Under the guise of being self-reliant, even when we have already been given all the good and right and pure instructions in the Bible, we re-interpret and rationalize things to fit the current situation and we act inappropriately and sinfully.
All that is to say, evil is not “out there”, it’s “in here”. It’s in your house, your heart, your suburban neighborhood full of friendly church going folks. The more peaceful and alluring the scenery, the more comfortable we are, the more subtle the devil is and the more aware you must become. Be diligent, stay alert and stay in God’s word. Look out for grey.
The second thing I have to say is Yes, Satan is out there. There’s some seriously scary and evil things going on in the world right now. Dark things. You know what? God will win. I’m on His team, so it matters not. God wins. His Good, His LOVE, triumphs. He is a strong force, unconquerable by the evil threats we fear from day to day.
It doesn’t matter who gets elected, although I prayerfully chose my candidate. It doesn’t matter how much we tell ourselves we’re right and how someone else is wrong. What does matter, is what we’re basing our life on. Where are we getting our game plan for this short time we have? Is it based on our feelings? Is it based on our government? Is it based on some “Christian” authors interpretation of scripture? OR is it based on your personal relationship with God and your Bible?
I’m a sinner. I’m a mess. I’m on the right team, though and I am forgiven. I don’t have to fear Satan and his tricks and his sea of grey and confusion, because God loves me, protects me, never leaves; He WINS. If you're having a moment of doubt and confusion, pray. Then look up at the sky, beyond the houses and buildings, beyond your current situation. See the vastness of it and remind yourself what is right and true and bigger than you or the mess you're in.
