FIFTY SHADES OF NOTHING
My twitter bio says “say no to indecent entertainment”, and I certainly didn’t put that up to be self-righteous. As a young lass, I believe I’ve been through a whole lot of experiences, which averagely aren’t the norm and I know from first hand experience the impact of the media on a person’s life.
I’m very passionate about positive entertainment via the media, and that’s one of the key reasons why I started blogging or ventured into media. Personally, I feel this topic is a broken record, but it’s still so painful that christians in this day and age still fill themselves with obscure content.
There is nothing as ” Just for the fun of it” I often tell people that every action, word, or gesture we do/entertain MUST be edifying in some form. Be it watching movies or having a basic conversation. Everything must add value.
This weekend was Valentine’s and the movie ‘Fifty shades of Grey” premiered. I never read the book/books and I’m grateful I didn’t. I listened to the review from a friend and I could already envisage the content of the book. This afternoon, an acquaintance of mine shared a link to an article/review about the movie and I read it. It was titled ‘A letter to my children about fifty shades of grey” It’s a Must Read! Here are excerpts of what the author had to say.
“Fifty shades of grey is NOT a romantic movie, rather it’s a movie about a narcissistic man’s controlling and violent sexual desires and his sense of entitlement to use and abuse a vulnerable young woman’s body and mind as tools for his own gratification. It’s all about his needs, coupled with the arrogant expectation that she should comply, regardless of her discomfort, to please him.”
“Don’t allow this romanticizing of sexual domestic abuse fool you into believing that you should ever allow yourself to be treated like Anastasia Steele. Please, my son, don’t watch this one day and believe that it’s ever okay to intimidate, manipulate or disrespect a woman like the ‘hero,’ Christian Grey. Nobody, male or female, wants or deserves to be disrespected, manipulated or violated against his or her wishes”
Even prior to reading the article, I knew the movie was a no-no. This last weekend I was just explaining to my friend on why she shouldn’t watch the movie.
As a christian, I’m very cautious of what I watch. This same reason is why I stopped watching Scandal. It glorifies Infidelity, spite, revenge, malice and lust. Lets not even discuss “Orange is the new black”……..besides my sentiments on this particular show, I learnt that the writer left her marriage to date one of the female actresses in the cast, She said upon writing the script she realised she wanted to be with a woman……..
You see, movies, books, music e.t.c are not just expressions of a writer’s creative imagination….They sow seeds in your heart. Entertainment is one of the devil’s key tools in today’s age. He seeks to deceive you, arouse you, enlighten you and put obscure thoughts in your heart. He knows well that any thing that doesn’t glorify God or isn’t edifying in any form is purely useless. He also knows that anything that doesn’t take you closer to God, takes you Farther away from him. The devil is restless, and he would use anything to take you away from the presence of God.
One difference between you and the devil(amongst others) is that the devil knows his judgement. He has no hope. You have hope, you have Jesus, and the opportunity to accept him if you haven’t. He knows he’s doomed with eternal damnation hence he’s trying to gather company for Abyss. Misery loves company.
Proverbs 4:23 says ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”. The word ‘Guard’ in this context means to be a gatekeeper of your heart. To screen, search and assess all things that passes to and fro you.
Nothing is a vacuum, you must fill your heart/mind with something, and with the right content. This post is not just to discourage you from watching fifty shades of grey and similar contents of its genre, but to also encourage you to continually do, watch, read, and hear only edifying things. Don’t deceive yourself and say you’re just being curious that’s why you watch/watched a well staged profanity. God hates luke warm, No greys with Jesus. It’s either black or white, or Hot or cold.
I pray that God fortifies us with an extra dose of discernment and grace to know and do that which pleases him. We will not miss heaven and live a mediocre life in Jesus Name!
Got Questions, requests or suggestions? Kindly leave a comment below, I’d love to hear from you…
xoxo
Tosin
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AFRICANISM COSMOPOLITAN 
Tosin, you are so right! God bless you.
SPOT ON!!!
Proverbs 4:23 says ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it”. The word ‘Guard’ in this context means to be a gatekeeper of your heart. To screen, search and assess all things that passes to and fro you.
Screen, Search and Assess! Word….Thank you!
I actually started reading the book, but later on I discovered it was not adding any value to me so I stopped. I know that nothing leaves you the same, it’s either something is added to you or something is taken away and trust me, this book ain’t adding value. Tosin, I really love your blog, it always points me back to Jesus.
Word!!!!!! Thank you Tosin.
All I’m saying!
I tried explaining this to a friend and she thought I was being “self righteous”
Thanks for this post Tosin
Xx
Thank you so much for this post Tosin!
This just made my morning ,sure great words and lessons to be learnt stumbled on you blog and it’s a great one to always check regularly God bless you tremoudously.
Thank you so much Folahanmi for reading and commenting. Hope to see more of you around here 🙂
You hit this right on the head. The point you mentioned about the devil gathering company was mentioned in church just yesterday and hearing it again today definitely means something.
Thanks for being bold enough to share and standing with Christ!
This article has got me thinking coupled with a post I read this morning on how the only shade of grey I should be concerned about as a Catholic is the ashes on my forehead. I will do a post on my thoughts by tomorrow and I hope you read.
http://sociotectonic.blogspot.com
This post is truly needed in our world today. I tried reading that book and the content was just too hardcore for my mind, I saw clips from the movie on a friends snapchat and I was already doubting my strength to see it cuz wen I last checked romance was something sweet not painful and tortuous. God give us strength to make right decisions.
Churches, families and communities should encourage our youths to get married in time. By this, lust would be reduced infinitesmally.
hurrying to get married is not the way out!!!!!!! teach the youth and even the elders to love and follow God, even if you date/court a person for ten years, sex is off the table because you love God. plus marriage does not magically cure sexual sins
Thank you for your apt reply!! xx
I understand your point, but marriage is never the way. self development and control is the key then after you are whole you can then get married. Many married couples still suffer with adultery and other sexual sins.
I absolutely agree with the fact that we need to guard our hearts.
Standing on the word of God, we should be able to develop content about sex and stop shying away from the topic. I read 50 Shades and I was able to identify the craziness that Christian Grey was and the gullible, vulnerable nature of Ana. How do we develop content to help us overcome these desires? How do we get the married to give us information about sex in God’s light?
We, the church, should be able to do more by way of Counter-Content. Nature abhors vacuum, or let’s use Matthew 12:43-45, we need to be able to stand against lust by replacing our desires for earthly things with Christ.
God help us.
My Father! I thought we were few in the fight against Fifty Shades of grey and indecent media products.I woke up one morning and started crying to God that am tired of sex everywhere. I am not without sin but this is quite sickening am so tired.Funny the Holy spirit has been told me to stop watching scandal .God will help us all
Wow, I Just found your blog. I love this article. After reading it I said to myself, I think me and this are going to make good friends 🙂
Lol awww thank you 💜 hope to see more of you here.
I love this! Found your blog through my sister and been enjoying your posts. You’ve got a new fan 🙂
Aww thank you so much for stopping by, I appreciate it..Thank you Joy ^.^ and give your sister a hug for me!
🙂