If you are like me, then you have probably asked God, "What is going on? Why is all of this happening to me?" And most likely you have asked God than once. 

The truth is, God loves you so much. He really, truly, and genuinely wants only the very best for you and He has an amazing plan for your life. 

Suffering is inevitable for the believer.

We will all experience hardships. Trials and tribulations. Storms. Sadness. Heartache and pain. Loss. Jesus tells us in John 16:33;

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world."

But He follows by encouraging our hearts to, "be courageous! I have conquered the world." How amazing is that? If we are in Jesus Christ then we can rest in knowing that everything will work out. God's got us! Remember, that although life is not always fair, God is always just.

Have faith and trust that even in the most painful of circumstances, God can and will turn it around for our good and for the good of those around us.

If you are having a difficult time trusting God in your current circumstance, my prayer is that my 7 life verses will speak to your heart. 

Psalm 118:8-9 // It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. 

Proverbs 3:5 // Trust in the LORD with all your heart...

Isaiah 12:2 // God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid.

Isaiah 50:10 // ...Trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon His God.

Nahum 1:7 // The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.

Mark 5:36 // "Do not be afraid; only believe."

Philippians 4:13 // I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.



What verses or promises help you to trust and abide in Christ during your hardest times?

As the release of Fifty Shades of Grey nears, my social media feeds become much more shorter as I obsessively click the "hide feed,"option in the hopes to stow away the gross displays of thirstiness from needy women all over, and in the process guard my heart, mind, and eyes.

No offense, but for the non-believer friends and family of mine this does not some to a surprise. But for the Christian women that I follow, I was pretty amazed at some of your obsessions with this movie.

I have been known to make comments about Christians watching shows like Scandal, where every Thursday the mistress, Olivia Pope is praised for being an independent, strong woman although she is having an affair with a married man. Then we have ABC's provocative series, Mistresses which follows four girlfriends who support each other in their journey to self-discovery all the while carrying on illicit relationships with married men and such.

Please, understand my heart. I am not saying that watching these shows or movies is a sin. But let's be honest with ourselves for a minute. Are these types of movies healthy for our walk with Christ? Is it glorifying God or the flesh?

One of the biggest things I hear from Christian women justifying their poor choice of entertainment is:

"It's only entertainment. Christians don't have to be boring."

Right.

I want to go back to this movie, Fifty Shades of Grey and share with you some lies Christian women are telling themselves to justify watching  it, and why it sounds ridiculous!

1. "It's just a movie." This lie has to be the BIGGEST. I have an honest question to ask you "godly" women. Would you watch this movie with Jesus sitting next to you? Seriously. Would it be just a movie then? The MPAA, in rating this movie used the phrase, "unusual behavior" to describe the movie's content. The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, that it is God's will, for our sanctification that we abstain from sexual immorality, so that each of us knows how to possess our own vessel in sanctification and honor, not with lustful desires, like the Gentiles who did not know God. Do you really believe that watching this movie will not fill your mind with lustful desires? And how is a movie containing torture, sexual violence, domination and submission to someone who they are not married to honoring to God? God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous (Heb. 13:4).
   
   
2. "God doesn't want us to live a boring life." I am sorry, but when did you get the impression that the Christian life was boring? Tell that to the Christians being martyred everyday for their faith. It is not fun, but far from boring. This walk is far from boring! True, genuine enjoyment, pleasure, peace, and hope is found in Jesus Christ. Walking with God is not easy, therefore it cannot be boring. Got Questions said it best; "One writer describes growing in the Christian faith as being “on a never-ending downward escalator. In order to grow we have to turn around and sprint up the escalator putting up with perturbed looks from everyone else who is gradually moving downward.” Christ never deluded anyone into thinking it would be easy to follow Him (see Matthew 10:34-39). It’s not easy, but the hardships help prevent boredom." The world offers enjoyment, pleasure, and peace, but it is temporary. Lasting joy is found at the Cross.
3. "I am married, so there isn't anything wrong if I watch the movie with my husband. We can get ideas on how to make the bedroom more creative" As a wife married to a man that struggled with pornography and sexual sin for many, many years this statement has to be the saddest of all. Every single day I counsel women and wives whose lives have been completely shattered by sexual immorality. This particular statement also offends me. Marriage and sex were created by God to glorify God. How can Hollywood make your marriage better, when Hollywood marriages end daily? If the fire has burned out in your marriage, girl, you better get on your face and pray. Ask God to reignite your marriage. Pray for creativeness and an increase in your sexual drive. God created sex to be fun, intimate, sexy, inviting, steamy, etc... with your spouse in the context of marriage. Ask and it will be given to you (Matt. 7:7).  It is God's will that we enjoy our marriage and enjoy having sex with our spouse. There is no need to go and pay for filth to attempt to spice up your life. Often times wives in their desperate state succumb to desperate measures by introducing pornography and sex toys into their marriage in the hopes to set ablaze their sex life. But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak (1 Cor. 8:9). My husband's pornography addiction and struggles with lust nearly destroyed our marriage. As his wife—his help-meet—there is no way that I could ever put him in a situation where his sexual sobriety could be compromised. How is watching a man sexually torture a young woman make me want to have sex with my husband? Thanks, but no thanks!

Over 30 percent of Christian women are addicted to pornography and struggle with lust and other sexual sins. Fifty Shades has been coined as "soft-porn" for moms. Statistics also show that women, more than men, are likely to act out their behaviors in real life, such as having multiple partners, casual sex, or affairs. A study conducted at Michigan State University found that young adult women who have read this popular erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey are more likely to exhibit symptoms of eating disorders and to have verbally abusive partners than women who haven't read the book [sott.net]. 

These are our Christian leaders, mothers, wives, teens that are not just struggling, but addicted to pornography. 

Pornography is considered to be more addictive than crack cocaine, because cocaine can be excreted from the body. Pornographic and sexual images cannot. Those explicit and lustful images neurochemically and permanently stay with a person, forever. 

So before you take your husband to watch FSOG consider this; If you get back home and have wild and passionate sex after the movie, how would you feel in knowing that he was turned on by from watching another woman have sex, and not from being turned on by his own wife.

That my dear, is adultery! And to think... you allowed it.

I will not act like I have not watched movies or shows that had sexual content. I have. But even in some of the shows I watch, when the sex scenes come on and I notice that it does not sit well with my spirit (and you will know), I will change it. The last thing I want to do is offend The Holy Spirit that dwells inside of me just to satisfy my flesh. If it makes me, or my fellow brethren uncomfortable, scared, etc., then it isn't worth it. The Spirit of God lives in each and everyone of His children and it will urge, and lead you into making the right decision. Don not ignore it.

Ultimately, follow your own convictions. 

But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28)