Thursday 16 May 2013

GREY AREAS.


” It is a shame that I do it for fame, It is a shame that it is but a game. I have been adorned by all forms of precious metal but no word from you yet. I have been adorned by all forms of earthly praise, but none from you yet. My belly is fat and my slumber lengthy but I still worry.....but I am still empty.”


It is socially unacceptable, in most Christian circles, to hold an opinion on these grey areas especially if you have been told ' IT IS WRONG!' all your life. But frankly being Kenyan and an 8-4-4 child, breathing is wrong. Why don't we ever jump in that fountain at Westgate? Why don't we climb the elephants at Nakumatt and take pictures? Why can't you just break into a dance in the middle of Nairobi streets, besides the fact that you might be mugged 5 ways from Sunday? Why is it wrong to have a pet chicken.....ok this last question may not be appropriate or have anything to do with what we are talking about but my point here is, have we not be bred to be robots who chant ' I am Kavosa! I want to be a Lawyer! Music, fashion and acting careers are for people with no future! I cannot laugh, giggle or show affection in public! If I do not go to church each Sunday, my Mother's friends will Gossip about her!' Grey areas my friend....we are getting there.


Social ethics are what drives many believers, me included. From the way we dress, what career paths we choose, how we make our parents look to the neighbours and their friends, who we date, lest you date that guy with the funny looking dreads from down the street whose always having parties, all these things play a big part in defining what we consider morally correct. I have to have certain friends who don't drink, hang out with them all the time so guys can be like eh I've chanukad. Although I still drink once in a while but I don't get high which is what is wrong. Besides the Bible in Proverbs says avoid alcohol...AVOID......not DO NOT DRINK....so I'm okay. Plus when I'm high I know myself, so I can get high if I want. I even smoke weed and I'm chilled. One thing I know I can never do is have sex when I'm in that state. NEVER! I'm not that crazy. Anyway, I love Jesus and He's the only one who can judge me.....but these guys for church can't know I drink.

The thing is, you can't say it like it is especially when everyone is snooping, consulting, gossiping, judging your behavioural temperaments to figure out whether your worthy or whether it is more convenient for them to bring to the surface your hypocrisies and indiscretions because these are not your friends your are speaking to. Noooo. They are not your family, loved ones, blood. They are sinners just like you with secrets of their own which they are not willing to share and you talking about these 'grey areas' is a threat to their social standing. At this moment anyone within an earshot of your message (about drugs, alcohol, sex...especially sex...) is a foe with a hoe ready at hand to dig deep in the ground a place for you to be buried. You and your 'grey areas.' And when it is all said and done, they'll be like " Heeeyyyy...you dug your own grave son. You know we don't like to talk about those things in these parts."(said in a southern accent)

You see as young people, our worlds are set so far apart from God at times its even depressing. These so called 'activities' we are engaging in, why are we doing them? Is it that we want to fit in? As a newly saved Christian, I find myself getting over enthusiastic about being down for whatever plan that involves Church and the like and I wonder if I am doing it for the glory of God or for my own Satisfaction.

Romans 11:36- 'Everything Comes from God alone. Everything lives by His power and everything is for His glory.' 

God put us on this earth for His pleasure. I know it sounds selfish but kindly ask yourself, He has given you life, love, hope, joy everything that you own, it is because God has made it possible and all He asks is for you to love Him, to trust Him, to talk to Him, to get to know Him, to obey Him...basically have a relationship with Him. Is that still selfish? How about the fact that each time you fall short, instead of Him stripping you of the life you have, He gives you time to repent and always forgives when you ask...always! How many times will you forgive a friend who steals your money or hits on your girlfriend or boyfriend. By the way, I find it HAAAARD to forgive friends who betray me. There are a few who can testify as to being collateral damage and I need to find them and forgive them because I have been forgiven myself. Call me if I am talking about you!

The reason I brought up grey areas is because we get lost in this seeking Christ agenda and think that if we stop smoking, drinking, having sex e.t.c God will love us more and we will be better than all the sinners we left behind and now we are automatically going to heaven. Then to make it worse, we do not talk about our struggles. Mostly because the people in the Church can be so unforgiving.....so unforgiving. We sit and proclaim at the top of our voices that God is faithful and He has delivered us from sin yet we haven't let him in yet. That mango that looks so amazing from the outside but inside is just rotten. 

Source: http://inspiringpretty.com/2012/09/17/inspirational-quotes-on-god/ 
 
Why are we not asking God what is necessary for us to grow as Christians as opposed to conforming to social norms? How are we glorifying God by denying him the opportunity to help us understand what He really wants for us? Did you know salvation is Christ seeking you not the other way around? 

There is nothing you can do to make Him love you more. His love is enough. You and the prostitute, drunkard, man who sexually abused a child, even the MPigs......He loves us all the same. All He is asking of you is to get down on your knees and praise Him, call Him Father and acknowledge His love through the sacrifice He made by sending His Son to die for us.

Somewhere in Ephesians  if I'm  not wrong, God says..."It is in your weakness that my power is made perfect." To be saved isn't "hey......look at us...the strong ones....flex...flex......we are resilient!We are tough!I don't sin......watchutalkinabout!" Be sure!!This corner right here....I think the devil enjoys when we don't talk about our sins amongst Christians. He wants it to drown you to the point you're screaming on the inside but no one can hear. No one wants to talk about the grey areas. Eventually you crush and burn. Coincidentally the most common sin amongst us is sexual imorality and we don't talk about it. You just see a baby then everyone is like 'hmmmmmm.......cheki huyo dame!'

This is why I chose to call this long lecture grey areas. Because our lives are characterised by us trying so hard to do what we consider the right thing by seeking the Light so to speak, that is Jesus but our minds are clouded by the darkness of this world and our own pride. Grey: a colour that is produced by mixing black and white paint.


Kavosa Assava

2 comments:

  1. Many interesting things to talk about I think the group that judges other people is the one to avoid sana, I think initially when I had walked away from the church was 'coz I had let them get to me. However, people will always judge no matter what one decides to do, whether good or bad, and that's why I think in His wisdom God says He is the one who can judge and the one who can avenge, and rightly so. Because His standards are waaaay above ours and He is blameless/without error. Matthew 7 "1“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." Just as a reminder for people. I also think its a good thing He judges the heart 'coz people can maintain outward appearances but yet huko ndani things are thick. I think God is just wise on another level, and that's only as much as my tiny mind can fathom. I like this one "Why are we not asking God what is necessary for us to grow as Christians as opposed to conforming to social norms?" and social norms can even be in the church and I guess it boils down to "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Rom 12:2 That should sort us out with our grey areas. I think, Grey areas are grey because of the influence of the world on them. There's only black or white This becomes clearer when one has the truth of God in their hearts. Everyone has their own struggle or 'thorn in the flesh' like Paul says, so its good to appreciate that humanity in everyone but know that "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." 1 Cor 10:13 Okay that's enough.

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  2. Follow Christ and let Him be the standard for you! The rest of us tend to ignore the logs in our eyes but seek to remove specks from people's eyes! Its THE SIN INFECTION! Focus on Jesus!

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