OUT OF THE GREY

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Several years ago there was a contemporary Christian husband and wife duet called “OUT OF THE GREY”. They even came to Xenia back in the day and shared in an Old Fashioned Days gospel night if I recall.

And they came to mind this morning as I was reading another little devotion from Tony Dungy that referred to this little passage from Proverbs 4.

23 Keep your heart pure for out of it are the important things of life. 24 Put false speaking away from you. Put bad talk far from you. 25 Let your eyes look straight in front of you, and keep looking at what is in front of you. 26 Watch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not turn to the right or to the left. Turn your foot away from sin.

Rarely does a big cataclysmic event damage our relationship with GOD. Now I am not saying that the death of loved on or the betrayal of a friend can’t serve to knock us off our pins and set us to questioning GOD and lead us astray. Those things do happen.

Yet more often than not, relationships with GOD and CHRIST suffer from gradual decay; little sins; compromise; from entertaining and investing in those little “grey” areas.

“This one drink won’t hurt.” “I know she is bad for me, but she makes me feel good.” “I am a little tired tonight missing Bible study won’t kill me.” “Church is overrated, I can worship from home.” “I have been serving too much, I deserve a break.” “Who is to know?”

Subtle little slips. Cunning little compromises. Taking a detour or two every now and then on the daily path. Investing time in little dangerous distractions. No big deal right?

Not so much...

This passage in Proverbs makes it clear. Don’t turn right OR left, maintain your focus, stay on track, and avoid the detours. Keep it pure. In others words watch out for those subtle little sins; "stay out of the grey".

There is a great story many Pastors use about a frog in a kettle. Put a frog in a boiling kettle of water and he will jump out and save himself. Yet put the same frog in some room temperature water and gradually raise the temp and he will cook to death.

Subtle sin and compromise are like that room temperature water.

If we are not careful, we can get pretty comfortable in those “little sins and detours” only to have the enemy slowly turn up the heat. He then begins to blur the lines between black and white, between sin and obedience and right and wrong thus creating a “big bunch of grey.” And before you know it, we are compromising daily and soon, like our frog friend; we are cooked!

Therefore let’s commit today to STAYING OUT OF THE GREY! Let’s not allow our sight to entertain the right or left.

Deuteronomy 5:32

Be careful to do just as the Lord your God has told you. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left.Let’s stick with the WORD to guide our path!

Psalm 119:105

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Let’s not dabble or detour.

James 4:7

Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life.

Let’s commit staying “out of the grey" today!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney