In Not Of

“What words do you use to describe a very sexually active female?” When I read this question in my Sociology textbook in my Sociology class at FREED-HARDEMAN UNIVERSITY I was a bit concerned. The words that came to mind were not any that I would say aloud, especially not is a class of 40 students.

“Do you want us to say them aloud?” a girl in the back asked. Everyone chuckled tensely and a boy in the front raised his hand.

“A wife,” he said. “A wife is a very sexually active female.” The class sat in stunned silence. I do not know about the thought process of the other students, but I was ashamed. Out of all the words that came to mind, wife was not one of them. This is a prime example of the influence the world has on our minds. When I read the question, the words that came to mind were words I had never said, never even considered using, but they were in my head just from hearing them on the television and on movies and in songs on the radio. Sometimes I think we get a skewed conception of the world. I know that I, growing up not only in the church, but also in a Christian school, lived a very sheltered life. That does not bother me. I do not care to know what the terms in the rap songs mean or what certain hand signs indicate. However, living in this sheltered life, I was told constantly to stay away from the “world.” I pictured the” world” as a separate place all together. In my mind, the “world” did not exist at Mars Hill Bible School or at Freed-Hardeman University. The “world” was the public schools where teenagers are pregnant and selling drugs. The “world” was New York City where crazy things happened every day. The “world” was not at Mars Hill. Now at college I realize that the “world” is everywhere. No matter where we go, we are still IN the world, however we are not OF the world (1^st John 2:15-16). Being in the world, we may hear the swear words and see the disgustingness on television and movies, but since we are not of the world, we cannot allow this to penetrate our hearts and minds. We cannot allow ourselves to settle and accept the worldly views as permissible. We must stand strong against the world, even though we are surrounded by it. If we stand strong, God will win the battle for us.