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.<\/p>\n
The topic at hand for the residents was to assess whether they were an \u201cAmused\u201d Girl-Gone-Wild, whose feet do not stay at home or an analyzing, self-disciplined Girl-Gone-Wise.\u00a0 The contrast between the two is clear and the challenge is obvious.<\/p>\n
The \u201cWild Thing\u201d is self-indulgent, self-seeking and always looking to be right in the midst of the action.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 She wants to be noticed and most of all, she wants to busy herself so she doesn\u2019t have to think about anything.\u00a0 The very definition of the word Amuse <\/em>(A <\/em>meaning \u201cno\u201d or \u201cvoid of\u201d and Muse<\/em> meaning \u201cto think\u201d) sums up the Girl-Gone-Wild\u2019s outlook on life, in general. She avoids exerting effort and discipline to think critically through the details of her daily existence.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n God lovingly commands us to have prepared minds, hearts, and bodies that are ready to jump into action.\u00a0 1 Peter 1:13 says, \u201cTherefore, prepare your minds for action\u201d, which shows that God\u2019s desire is that we would have sharp minds; trained and disciplined to serve his purposes with excellence. The self-disciplined and critically thinking \u201cWise Thing\u201d has trained herself to slow down and analyze, so as to make wise choices that are self-denying, rather than self-indulgent.\u00a0 Her eyes are not on herself, but rather she spends her energy serving others and ordering her personal life at home.\u00a0 Kassian notes, \u201cThe \u201cways of the household\u201d 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.\u201d<\/p>\n