Grey Areas

My dear readers,
I was just recently talking with a friend via email and the subject of churches came up, for me and my family are still on the search for a home church near us. While we were talking, we discussed how both of our families like the King James version of the Bible best, and we like hymns best; and we were trying to find a church that used the KJV and sang hymns, not necessarily exclusively, but mostly. My friend then asked me why I liked KJV and hymns best, for she was trying to get her thoughts on the subject together and wasn't quite sure about it. I told her and then she told me of how their former pastor was adamant and would only sing hymns, and drums on beats 2 and 4 were evil, and all this stuff, and we discussed how one must not get so wrapped up in our own opinions that we force them on those around us. We recalled how Paul wrote about how if a man is convicted of a thing, then he must not do it, or it is a sin for him; and if you are not convicted about it, then it is fine for you to do (this applies to all things that are grey areas in the Bible and are not made clear to us through His word, areas where we must decide for ourselves); BUT if your brother is convicted of a thing, and you are not, yet you do it in front of him you may cause him to stumble. Therefore, you must do all in love, seeking His will. All that to say, I believe that I have learned to like grey areas.

Most people dislike grey areas immensely, and so do I a lot of the time. They are a pain to deal with and make you double guess yourself, and sometimes, many times possibly, you make the wrong decision and must pay for it later.

But I found the other day while I was talking to my friend why God gave us grey areas.

Grey areas cause you to think, and also to make a decision. The decisions you make either grow or harm your character and your relationship with God, depending on how you deal with the decision-making process. To find out what to do with a specific grey area, you've got seek God - through His Word, through prayer, and through discussing the topic with other brethren in Christ. Then you can make a wise decision based on your knowledge of the topic and what God wants you personally to do.

Grey areas are a pain, I admit it. Many times, even after you make a decision, others will try to convince you otherwise and you will either have to defend it or go back on your decision. You may even double guess yourself - something I do often with certain grey areas.

But something I always remember is that God works everything together for good (Romans 8:28) and that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13), and that includes standing up for something I think is either right or wrong (depending on the situation). That said, when it comes to grey areas and personal conviction by the Holy Spirit, we must be very careful not to cause a brother or sister to stumble or offend them. This is a tender area and, in my opinion, a super important aspect of keeping the church functioning properly.

All that simply to say, when you come across something that isn't very fun, be it grey areas, trials and temptations, or anything like that, remember that God's got you in the palm of His great and mighty hand, and He won't ever let you go. He will always be there guiding you, all you've got to do is seek, listen, and obey, and He'll take care of the rest.

In Christ our Solid Rock,
Buttercup