But I believe my friend Adam brought some much needed clarity to the whole subject when he simply commented, "Why are we surprised by this?". A simple question. Why are we surprised to see Miley doing a performance like this?
I don't mean to imply that we shouldn't be shocked by the increasing social acceptance of public acts of immorality, but specifically Miley or any other darling "pure" child star gone south.
People are saying, "She's no longer family friendly!", "She's not the innocent little Miley we once knew!" Well, I did not have children at the time of Hannah Montana's so I thankfully escaped that whole mess but I know enough about the show's content to say that we could have a discussion about just how family friendly it ever truly was.
That, however, is not the point of this post. Let's address the "She's not the innocent Miley" any longer crowd.
It is my contention that the Miley we saw on the 2013 VMA Show is not who she has become, but who she has always been.
Yes, you read that correctly. Little "innocent" Hannah Montana portrayed by wide eyed Miley was NOT the real Miley personality.
People have developed this idea in their head that she was once a little angel on earth simply because her television character was this so-called type of child.
The interviews for magazines, TV, behind the scenes sort of footage, all staged. If you believe that there wasn't a publicist, manager, "parent" behind all of those things telling her what to do and what to say you are blindly mistaken.
What we saw portrayed was Miley the product. Miley the apparition. She was a smoke and mirrors figment of the imagination that was needed to sell Disney merchandise. So they created the persona they needed and once she was no longer cute as Hannah she was set loose on her own.
Am I saying that even at a child's age she was engaged in gross and overt immorality similar to what was displayed on television? No. That's absurd and illegal. What I am saying is that the warning signs of her being a lost sinner were rampant in her life then and have merely escalated as she has grown older.
She is the product of sinful flesh (which we are all born with) turned loose to feast on its own desires. It isn't that Miley is "turning bad" or "becoming immoral", it is more likely that she always has been and it is now that it is reaching a level to even make some secular-moralists drop their jaws. The Miley we all watched grow up on stage was a sanitized and controlled version of what many witnessed with disgust a few nights ago.
Miley, me, you... we are all born sinful. It is only the grace of God through Jesus Christ that works in us to put our sinful desires to death. Yes, Miley supposedly professed Christ as a child, but clearly she is showing now that she was never truly following Jesus Christ. That's not judgment, that's an honest appraisal of a lack of fruit being born in her life (Matthew 7:16).
Additionally, this should be a wise lesson to Christian parents, and all parents really, of why we should never place any person as an idol in our child's lives. It is a myth to say that a child needs a real world celebrity role model.
They don't. They need moms and dads who commit to teach them God's Word and demonstrate the effects of that Word on their own lives. They need moms and dads who take them to a church who is passionate about the proclamation of the full Gospel of Jesus Christ and come along side the family to disciple that child.
What Miley needs, what I need, what every child and adult needs is to have the Gospel applied to their life that we might see our need for Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sin and give us a regenerated heart with new desires. What people need is Christ. Applying the Gospel daily to yourself and your family will remind the believer of the Savior who died to save them. That is the best and only sufficient reason to fight the desires of the flesh. It is only because of receiving His Spirit in us that we even care to fight the desires of the flesh.
Applying the Gospel to a lost person is intended, by God's grace, to show them their need of Christ that they would forsake their sin and flee to Him for life!
Let me make 2 final disclaimers on this issue:
1.) Do not for one moment think that you or I are any better than she. If it were not for the grace of God we would be capable of far worse an act than she has done. (1 Corinthians 6:9-20)
2.) I did not watch the performance in its entirety, but have read an account of most of the acts performed. I watched the opening moments and when she went to remove a portion of her costume I quickly exited the YouTube page having seen enough to make me sick already.
3.) While I am on board with condemning what Miley did on stage, let's be careful not to cross the line to condemn her soul. Let's instead let this motivate us to weep and pray for her salvation that God in His mercy would save her soon!
Recommended Links:
Sorry, Miley
True and False Conversion by Ray Comfort
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