Pulling back the shades. ( Caution; for mature readers)

     Are you getting tired of hearing about Fifty Shades of Grey? First the books, now the movie. Enough already!!

     The good news is that soon, no one will be talking about it. We will have moved onto another cultural fad and be debating another social controversy. But what does all this hype reveal about a woman's heart...for intimacy?

I came across this article by Juli Slattery and thought it offers the other side of the story...a true side:

            Rather than write another article analyzing the content of Fifty Shades of Grey, let's dive into why we want to read it (or see it). Whether you have jumped onto the Fifty Shades bandwagon or you are curiously on the sidelines, we all have to acknowledge what its success says about the spiritual, emotional, and sexual state of women. The tidal wave of women celebrating "mommy porn" says more about the "mommy" then it says about the porn. Here's the bottom line: women are desperate for intimacy and they don't know where to find it. Young and old, married and single, Christian and atheist, women feel bored, lonely, and frustrated.

It would be tragic for us to allow the Fifty Shades frenzy to pass without taking note of what women long for, both within the church and outside of its walls. Jesus not only knows our intimate needs, He offers to meet us in them. We run to the world when we don't know or understand the beauty and victory of pursuing God with our longings. I'm not talking about the quick fix presented by the Prosperity Gospel. Make not mistake...trusting the Lord is the narrow road and few will choose to embrace it. Yet it also represents life...a life that will not disappoint.

We are lonely...Jesus offers intimacy.

     We are witnessing a vast increase in women who are drawn to internet porn, erotica, and sexual chat rooms. Counselors and pastors scratch their heads thinking. "this used to be a man's problem. What's happening?"

     Women aren't just looking for sex... they are longing for intimacy. While we have hormones and sexual longings, they are not nearly as powerful as our drive for intimacy--to be known and embraced in vulnerability. The physical act of sex, while beautiful as an expression of intimacy is a cheap replacement for it. Unfortunately, many women are sexual without realizing that they lack intimacy. We live in a world that sabotages intimacy at every step while promoting sex as an adequate substitute. No amount of sex (real or imagined) can compensate for a lack of intimacy...

We are sexually broken...God is the Healer.

I have rarely met a woman who is not, in some way sexually broken. For some, their wounds are obvious. They pour out the shame of sexual trauma or the guilt of addictions, abortions, and promiscuity. But other women aren't even aware of their wounds. Their symptoms are consider "normal," represented by statements like these:

• I don't understand why my husband always wants sex. It feels like a chore.
• I used to believe that sex should be reserved for marriage. But I'm 35. That morality just doesn't work in today's day and age.

Most women have learned about their sexuality as a compartmentalized part of who they are. They are wife, mom, sister, daughter, disciple of God and then...oh yes, there is the sexual part of them. As singles they are told to ignore it and it will go away. As married women, they are encouraged to meet their husband's  need and maybe enjoy it..perhaps a little bit. Underlying all of these messages is this one: Your spiritual life and your sexuality have nothing to do with each other. 

    

It seems as if God doesn't care about their sex life, so why not learn form the world?  Confusion and pain reign. Women have specific questions about sexuality and they have no idea who to ask.

This thinking may be what Christians believe, but it certainly isn't biblical. While the church may be silent on the topic, the Bible has a lot to say. Sexuality and spirituality, according to God's Word, are absolutely inseparable. God cares deeply about a woman's sexuality and has every intention of healing her in the most initmate manner.

Have you ever noticed how many of the women Jesus interacted with came with sexual and relational pain? He healed their invisible wounds of shame, gulit, and violation. Why are we not proclaiming to each other and then to the world that God is the Healer? There is no wound so deep, no sin so disgusting that His love cannot forgive and redeem! This isn't just a nice thought. I have the joy of seeing this reality of God's power in women's lives daily. 

We are playing defense...God calls us to revival.

Revival. It sounds like an old-fashioned word, doesn't it? Revival is when God's Spirit is poured out on His people and lives are changed. It happens when we commit ourselves to earnestly seek the Lord and obey Him 100 percent. Revival is what happens when God's people stop playing only defense and determine to play offense--to take ground back from the enemy.

If you look at the spiritual battlefield of sexuality, you will notice that Christians have largely resigned themselves to playing defense. We pray and work so that things don't get any worse. In this arena, we seem to have forgotten that our God is able to do more than fend off defeat..He is a God of victory.

Yes, there is a need to talk about how terrible pornography is. But we should be teaching more boldly the power of God's truth in every corner of our lives--including sexuality. While the world talks endlessly about sex, God's Word proclaims sexuality as a holy and powerful metaphor to be protected and celebrated.

I don't just look at Fifty Shades of Grey as a terrible commentary on sexual ethics. I see it as a call to revival, and any revival starts with us. As believers, we cannot tell the world of an intimate savior if we, ourselves are not sustained by His Living Water.