What book should I read next?

I've seen that question posed so many times on my facebook. And the most popular answer that people give is "50 Shades of Grey." Now, I have never read the book trilogy (nor do I have any want or desire to do so). Personally, I am not usually one to jump onto band wagons of what the world likes or recommends. I usually exercise my own indepedent judgment and thinking on things and stray away from all of that. As a disclaimer, though, I am not saying that there is necessarily ALWAYS something wrong with giving into the latest "craze" or "hype" in America. Case in point: the iPad. Pretty legit craze if you ask me. And my sweet boyfriend got me one for Valentines when it first came out. But I digress. :) Anyway...so if jumping onto bandwagons like some of you Miami Heat fans...(teehee)...if that's your thing, cool. But it's not mine. I realize I have a lot of friends who have read the book, are reading it now, are curious about reading it, etc. I also realize that everyone is entitled to their own opinions (just like I am mine..which is why I am writing this blog..which is why if you don't like it...well..then...maybe you might want to stop reading it now) hehehe :)

However, seeing this common response of book recommendations...made me start thinking of a different response. A more appropriate response. A response that I feel compelled to say. To ask even. Why isn't the answer more often "THE BIBLE?" That's a book that has been around for forever...a book that is our instruction manual for life. God's word. Everything we need to know about life, living, faith, hope, love, EVERYTHING...it's in there. Feeling down? Open the Bible. Need some encouragement? Open the Bible. Want to see what God says about how you are supposed to live? Open the Bible. It's all in there. And it's a book that you can read 1234123412341 times...and I promise you that EVERY TIME...you will get something different from it. Every time.

So why do I care about this book, 50 Shades of Grey? Why do I even mention it when I have no desire to read it? Well, for several reasons. First, I do not want you to mistake something so potentially dangerous as innocent. I do not want to see Satan use something as innocent as a book and slowly fade into black! To you, it is just a book....to Satan, it is a device or tool to use against your life. When you read, you paint images in your head, and those images stick. Just like pornographic images. Satan can bring those images back to your mind no matter how hard you want to leave them in the book. The desires of the flesh are strong. Powerful. Hard to say no to at times. Reading something with sexual content can put lust in your heart and your mind.

Sound silly? Think about it. Satan uses many tools to reach out to people in this world...to plant thoughts in their minds...to put seeds of doubt in their hearts..in their marriages..etc. And one of those ways...can be through a book. A movie. TV. Internet. Magazines. You name it. The devil can use any one of those mechanisms. Or ALL of them.

Why do you think God made it clear to us through his servant Paul, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise"? Because He knows our hearts. But guess what...Satan knows our hearts, too. And if we aren't focused on the things of God we can end up in a slow fade....into 50 shades of grey....into black...into a life of sin...a life that leads to death.

"Do not conform any longer 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." Romans 12:2

The things of this world WILL fade away. That is a guaranteed fact. One day...it will all be gone.

One of the scariest Bible verses to me (as a kid) was this one: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!" -Matthew 7:21-23

Essentially, that verse means...just because you THINK you are saved...just because you have done good deeds....think again. Re-examine your life. Your decisions. And your salvation. What if God said to you...depart from me, I never knew you? Scary, scary. Suddenly the things of this world aren't so important anymore, huh?

After all, if our salvation means so much, if this world is only temporary, if there are no runways in Heaven, no things of this world in Heaven, then why don't we devote more time to reading the word..instead of reading the trash of this world? -Just a thought

So what if you have read 50 Shades of Grey? That doesn't mean you're a bad person. And I am not judging you. Because really, who am I, an imperfect, messed up, sinner myself, to judge YOU? Lord knows I make mistakes every day. Thank God for His grace & mercy! At the end of the day, you are your own person and you can make your own decisions to do what you want. All I am saying...is just be careful what you invite into your life. It could be an invitation for destruction.