50 Shades of Truth

I actually wrote this four years ago when this movie came out but never published it. I’m not really sure why I didn’t publish it, but as I reread it today I realized just how relevant it still is. There have since been several sequels and countless other productions in our culture that reflect the same attitude toward sex. I hope you hear my heart in this, because that has not changed. Love to all.

So "50 Shades of Grey" came out on the big screen today. And my Facebook has blown up about it. On one hand, I've got friends who were eagerly awaiting it's release. On another are my Christian friends who are unabashadly proclaiming it's poisonous nature (with which I am in total agreement with). And on the other end of the spectrum are the people, Christian or not, who are telling the Christians to stop judging, butt out, and/or recognize that "all sin is the same" etc. etc. I've read so many articles, tweets, blogs, and statuses on the matter that I almost feel like I could write a book on the subject. And I've thought long and hard about what I have to say regarding the matter. And here it goes.

It doesn't matter what I have to say about it. What matters is what the Bible says about it. While Scripture doesn't exactly reference "50 Shades" by name, it definitely has a lot to say on the matters of love, sex, lust, and pornography. And yes, "50 Shades" is straight up porn. Anything that is designed to illicit that kind of desire from within is porn. Period.

Scripture also has a lot to say about pointing out someone else's sin without examining ourselves. I believe there's something about a plank and a speck. And I totally agree with that too. Sin is sin, no matter the color and God sees it all the same.

But at the same time, we're supposed to stand up for our faith in this world and proclaim truth.

I personally have no interest in "50 Shades of Grey". I have no desire to read the books or to see the film. It glorifies an abusive relationship that's based on lust and control and it is nothing but harmful to anyone who lets it enter their mind. It distorts God's design for love and sex. Period.

But I get it. I get why women flock to this. We long for love, affection, and security. We long for intimacy. And too often, we seek it in a man. When we don't find it in a man, we seek it elsewhere. And most often, we spend so much time looking in the wrong places for it, we never find it where it's been waiting all along. At the foot of the cross.

We long for intimacy because God created us for that. He created us to find that in Him. He wants to satisfy the longings of our hearts. I love my husband. I love him very much and have a relationship with him unlike with any other person on this planet. But my deepest relationship needs to be with Jesus. If my relationship with God is not where it needs to be, my relationship with my husband suffers. God has to be at the center and can only be at the center when we maintain that closeness with him.

Ladies, hear my heart. Hear the heart of the Savior. I speak not from a place of judgment. I know that I have let things into my mind, whether through TV, books, movies, or music, that have no business there. And it's there for good.

Christians, use this as an opportunity to have a conversation. Whether we agree with it or not, this is where our culture is. When Jesus walked the earth, he went to the people and met them where they were and talked with them. Be willing to talk about it. Be willing to have a conversation with someone and be ready to share God's truth in His love. Recognize that it is perfectly acceptable to refuse to buy the lies and to be vocal about that. But don't climb on that horse without looking at your plank.

Have grace, give grace, and seek His grace. Cause heaven knows we all need it.