The book Girls Gone Wise in a World Gone Wild has been the class discussion guide for the VOH residents in the past several days and it has spurred on quite a few challenging, controversial and countercultural conversations.
The topic at hand for the residents was to assess whether they were an “Amused” Girl-Gone-Wild, whose feet do not stay at home or an analyzing, self-disciplined Girl-Gone-Wise. The contrast between the two is clear and the challenge is obvious.
The “Wild Thing” is self-indulgent, self-seeking and always looking to be right in the midst of the action. Proverbs 7 notes that she often finds herself in public places like the street, market, or corner– all places where she can feed her desire for attention and affection. She wants to be noticed and most of all, she wants to busy herself so she doesn’t have to think about anything. The very definition of the word Amuse (A meaning “no” or “void of” and Muse meaning “to think”) sums up the Girl-Gone-Wild’s outlook on life, in general. She avoids exerting effort and discipline to think critically through the details of her daily existence. Meanwhile, as she is seeking her own end and glory, her personal matters on the home front have been left unattended. This is an easy trap to fall into, because the world offers so many enticing distractions, but the Lord tells us in His Word that there is a better way.
God lovingly commands us to have prepared minds, hearts, and bodies that are ready to jump into action. 1 Peter 1:13 says, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action”, which shows that God’s desire is that we would have sharp minds; trained and disciplined to serve his purposes with excellence. The self-disciplined and critically thinking “Wise Thing” has trained herself to slow down and analyze, so as to make wise choices that are self-denying, rather than self-indulgent. Her eyes are not on herself, but rather she spends her energy serving others and ordering her personal life at home. Kassian notes, “The “ways of the household” involve the cleanliness and orderliness of its physical environment. But more important than that, they involve the cleanliness and orderliness of its relational and spiritual environment.”
Critical thinking is hard work. Many of the residents began to identify areas where the lies of the world had begun to creep into their thinking and behavior, and this portion of the book, the issue of being amused or thinking critically was a beneficial exhortation for all.
