November 15, 2018

Guarding Against the Gray

I try to watch what inhabits my mind, guarding against those things that try to pull me into the gray areas of life. What are the gray areas? Those things that do not have a hard and obvious right and wrong and can be done and hidden in secret. Those things that cause a check in the spirit, alerting the believer that temptation and danger lurk, and the right way should be chosen.

“Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2.

Life’s Gray Areas

Let me be clear – in the life of a believer, there is no gray area. There is right. There is wrong. These are the only two choices. But in our modern culture, the world around us dictates a different view. In allowing this worldview to pollute our thinking, right and wrong often become blended and we live life according to what we physically see rather than according to scripture. Just as our thought life dictates our life path, so does our worldview! The worldview of life is gray and, for the most part, everyone does as he sees fit.” Judges 21:25.

Worldview vs Christview

Because we open ourselves to the worldview, we struggle with the same gray areas. When the wrong way is chosen, the believer’s eyes are often veiled and unable to recognize the way of sin. When conviction sets in, we are often blinded to our sin because it is cloaked in justification or confusion. The fog of our thinking enables us to move forward believing a sinful choice is okay, when in fact, sin’s deception begins to harden our hearts toward God. (Hebrews 3:13).

The sins committed in the worldview gray areas are those that are stumbling blocks to most believers. Things done with an awareness that they are not right, they are not “necessarily” wrong, and they carry the justification that “it can’t be that bad”. These gray areas, as we see them, still lurk in the shadows of our heart and are hidden in the darkness. We walk in ignorance that these things separate us from the fullness of Christ and keep us at arm’s length from a full surrender to Him.

Light into Darkness

When God shines light into the seemingly gray areas, the gray is exposed as darkness. In this, a righteous person is humbled by the deception that has been laid over truth. There is no gray. There is light (purity) and darkness (sin). Anything hidden in the darkness will be exposed.

In owning, acknowledging and confessing sin, we humble ourselves before God and seek His forgiveness and the forgiveness of those we have wronged. Righteousness pleads for us to expose our own sin rather than having it exposed openly before the world to see. We are all flawed – it’s how we address our flaws that define our core character.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Everything exposed by the light becomes visible.” Ephesians 5:8-11, 13

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Mary Ethel Eckard is an author, speaker and teacher called to encourage Christians in their faith journey. She is passionate about sharing Christ with all who will listen. Through her captivating testimony of relying on God's strength and guidance through the heights and depths of life, Mary helps others find freedom from the shame and pain of their past. Mary resides in Frisco, Texas and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

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