Or so I thought.
I saw so many other "good girls" turn bad as soon as they left for college. The bad girl syndrome. No rules, no parents, heck, your in college who is there to tell you what to do anymore?
How could someone I grew up with all of a sudden turn down a path of self destruction. Purity, goodness, and modesty thrown right out the window. Lies were thrown into their head whispering in their ear, "Was the lifestyle you were living worth it? You should be free, do what you want, step on anyone to get there, because it's ALL ABOUT YOU."
I realized that we as christians have been raised into goodness in two ways. Some of us have been forced into it and others have the choice. Some of us have grown up in the church. We know all of the right answers, know how to act, accepted christ like 30 times just to be sure, and know exactly how to put on a show for everyone. We aren't obeying God's law because of Him, we are obeying it because of the church. We shouldn't have to play the part of a good girl. I hate that kids feel forced into goodness rather than it being a choice. Holy behavior is supposed to come from the heart. A heart that loves God. A heart that is consumed by God. A heart that chooses God over all other things. We chose goodness because God loved us enough to die for our sins.
Others have been faced with the choice. We are the type of people who have been faced with the choice of goodness or evil and chose God. No one hovered over us and told us which one to pick, no one forced us, we chose goodness because we know how much God loves us and wants to protect us. Notice I didn't say the church, but God. The church is not our salvation, God is. There is a saying: “Rules without relationship equals rebellion.” If you don't have a PERSONAL relationship with God you more than likely won't choose Him when times get tough. You will look at the rules and throw them out the window.
God didn't place these "rules" in our life to restrict us, he placed them there to protect us. Sometimes we decide to follow the rules instead of God. Christianity is about being free. Free of things of this world, emotions of this world. He wants us to live freely. He wants us to follow the rules he gave us, not because we have to, but because he gives us the choice to. Because He loves us enough that He died for those sins that we are going to make, all of our flaws, habits, and hangups.
This doesn't mean be a good girl or a bad girl, it just means be a young lady or young man passionately seeking after God with your own will. Not your moms, not your pastors, not your aunt or uncle, but yours. Value God the same way he values you.