Confusion-Despair-Disparity-Anger or
Focus-Hope-Balance-Love?
Is there truly gray areas within the issues of life, not just a matter of fact...not just black and white? The gray has, for the most part, been seen as an area to be avoided because of its potential for conflict. It is also seen by those looking for a liberty "work around" as a power-tool-opportunity to set up their flag of wisdom on the matter. But, could the Gray be an opportunity for Grace and Love instead of a clash of violently opposed convictions?
The gray, without much effort, becomes a cultivator of walls and the foundation of the doctrines of "isms" and "ists" that do nothing but divide, conquer and leave the wounded for dead. Survival of the right-est as the fittest, is the underlying (truly lying) belief that can cause irreconcilable conflict. This may be why Conflict such a terror in the "Church"? ... maybe because we want peace in the "Father Knows Best Mayberry" family. (The Acknowledgement of Absolute Truth is though, but there can be no peace where conflict is avoided and issues of life are never handled).
Here was the game plan of a former pastor as stated, "We will not have controversy, but if controversy arises, we will handle the conflict... (emphasizing) WE WILL HANDLE THE CONFLICT". The leadership's game plan was to maintain a status quo and squelch anything that was different. And as we all know...Jesus' life was without controversy (please understand that this statement is sarcastic) ... so we should expect that the follower should also live without controversy or conflict (again-this is another sarcastic statement).
Sometimes the issue is not as gray as we would purport it to be. It may be excused as an area of cultural or preferential opinions that those more enlightened have given an issue a hall-pass to avoid the pain of education. Without a truly devotional grasp of the wisdom of love there will be an impatience due to offences that can carry us into conflict. Offenses are a guaranty, but woe unto him whose cause is to offend, and especially offend the little ones - A true offence is one that comes out of a desire against the Word of God and separates a "little one", one of God's Kid's, from His Father's Voice within the Word - "The Love Letter".
"Wine, as an entertainer, is an arrogant ambassador and a scornful interpreter; and more intensely, Strong intoxicating drink is a distracting growl and a disrupting roar; whoever strays and swerves off into desired intoxication thereby is not wise". Proverbs 20:1
Since the beginning of man's choices for his "own way" instead of "God's way", there has been welcomed entertainers and intoxicators that have distorted the Voice of God. This distortion has caused a growing discention in the kingdom. It creates a riff in Love's Ministry of Reconciliation and an animosity towards "God accountability". So many want to stretch and test the boundaries of Liberty because of the urging of highly polished "other voices", which in the end ... tarnish purity and integrity, and wax cold true love by causing it to doubt truth.
I want something. We all want something...and deep down inside we hope that "that something" will fix or heal the ache of life that follows us every where we go. It all seems so confusing at times and we become too overwhelmed. Oh so many of us want to numb our way into the oblivious comforts of stollen bread and forbidden fruit. The numbness of a fleeing fleshy pleasure deceives us into thinking that sin is not all that divisive, not as bad as "the preacher" has warned us, and many times the sin itself brings a momentary release or rest.
Rest is a rare commodity in a time of struggle. Comfort is a fleeing companion when pain decides to be an unwelcome tenant. Peace is flaunted as the offering to woo the masses by the wolves in sheep's designer clothing. "Key in importance" for all of our days is... clear, concise, and connective direction. Jesus said this to those in His day who were standing on the threshold of What to believe? ---"If ye continue in My word, then ye are my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." What great news ... but there was push back because of what He said.
Here are the issues of stumbling in this passage - listen UP!
"Continuing in His Word" - Will we allow His Word to dwell in us in such a way that His Word saturates and satisfies our thoughts continually? Will our hearts be seen as the throne room of the King, and our lives used as a vessel of Love for others?
"My disciples" - Will we allow ourselves to be obviously identified as His followers, His students, His and His alone?
"shall know the truth" and ... Will our intimacy with His truth cause less and less hesitation to hear, listen and obey His Truth... so that in knowing daily, we are growing daily?
"shall make you free" - Hello!!! "Free" --- this word is so much more endearing because it means "Freeborn" -- We are citizens of Heaven upon a simple childlike faith decision for Jesus... But we have a privilege of a stronger connection to our citizenship via our cultivation of the relationship through a constant connection to His Word and growing Spirit ownership of His Life in us.
The GRAY is for real ... but like a FOG (the Favor Of God), He carries us through - The
Gray - when we settle the conflict in a growing love for Him and others.
Gray - when we settle the conflict in a growing love for Him and others.
Don't be afraid of the Gray!
Read, study, meditate, believe, pray, share, stand, and love,
HLFA,
Jeff
PS: The issues that we think are GRAY are opportunities to please the Father by "presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice" - Rom:12:1,2