The 21-year-old college sophomore was living a successful American life for someone her age. With her beautiful blue eyes and a captivating smile, she seemed to take the campus by storm. The volleyball scholarship to the Division I school for which she played was set up so she would always have disposable income available. And in California, where late-night outings can quickly tally up triple-digit figures, disposable income was exactly what Stacey needed.

She usually didn't enjoy going to class on Friday, but this semester her last class ended at noon. After volleyball practice was over, she walked to her SUV. She had shiny 20-inch chrome rims that her boyfriend had bought her for her birthday. She didn't really have anything against the shiny accessories; she'd seen them on MTV's Pimp My Ride and they seemed nifty.

As she started the ignition, the pulsating bass from her stereo system reverberated through her body. She actually didn't like it so loud, but she felt compelled to let the entire campus know she was coming. Stacey's drive to her sorority was a short five-minute trip to the other end of campus. But she had to stop by the grocery store to pick up food and other items.

The drive to the grocery store was always morally taxing for Stacey. On the way there, she'd always notice the peaceful tranquility that surrounded the Jewish fraternity on Friday evenings. Decked out in full formal regalia, dozens of Jewish students filed into the fraternity for their Sabbath services.

She knew why they were there. She'd grown up keeping the Sabbath, though as a Christian. She knew what the Bible said about the subject. But just like a boxer effortlessly shakes off a soft blow to the jaw, she cranked up her radio and looked past the Sabbath services and into the grocery store. It had become her ritual.

On Sunday mornings she would wake up with a splitting headache, unaccounted-for bruises on her body and unexplainable dents in her car. The sound of concerned disappointment in her mother's voice over the phone was something she couldn't handle anymore, so she stopped taking her mom's calls altogether.

Her Sundays were spent sprawled across her unmade bed, flipping through the TV channels. A reality dating show called Elimidate would be on and she'd turn the volume up and laugh. The show's premise? Three girls or guys engage in a no-holds-barred competition over one person. Stacey vaguely remembered what it was like to have an innocent date with a boy from her church.

But now all she could recall were the bright lights, hundreds of people and booming bass from the night before. The weekend was over and she couldn't wait until the next weekend. She was dripping wet with American pop culture. Having long ago dubbed herself the "successful" American, she knew, even at 21, that her behavioral patterns were a recipe for spiritual disaster.

What's the point?

How does this affect you? Christians in America are faced with daily opportunities to make right decisions. Similarly they're faced with even more opportunities to make wrong decisions. But with the breadth of messages Christians receive, sometimes the right choices can get foggy. To that end, it seems the mass media creates new distractions. While not necessarily telling audiences what to think, pop culture is dictating what they think about. And if not mindful of the media's gripping effects, even adolescents who have grown up knowing biblical truths are susceptible to becoming "successful," but morally bankrupt, Americans.

"The media has a huge responsibility to the public to not only keep them informed, but to keep them entertained," said Michael Rapp, professor of mass communications at San Diego State University. And often this "entertainment" is in direct opposition to Christian values. Does this mean Christians are to isolate themselves in their closets and avoid social contact? Clearly this is not God's desire or expectation (John 17:15). There's nothing wrong with having a variety of friendships.

But when our friends define entertainment as pornography, binge drinking and promiscuity, we have to decide who our friends really are and, more importantly, who they're not. Said Winston Churchill, "Show me a man's friends, and I will show you that man's character." Another man named Paul who lived a couple thousand years ago said something similar. Writing to the church in Corinth, he simply stated: "Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals'" (1 Corinthians 15:33, Revised Standard Version throughout).

So what can you do? Because young Christians are pummeled with hundreds of messages daily, how are we supposed to sift through all these influences and avoid becoming drenched in pop culture?

Quick tips

• Go to church: Church is not just about sermons. Church also provides us with a chance to speak with other young Christians who, believe it or not, are probably going through the same things we are. Going to church helps influence us to make godly decisions.

• Pray: God knows what we think every second of the day. He already knows our thoughts and our problems. But we need to share them with Him in order to build the relationship, and in time, He will guide us. How do we know this? Because that's His promise. "Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you" (1 Peter 5:7).

So as you are bombarded with all the media and today's pop culture, remember that in the end, your family and church relationships will be the ones that will see you through. Being a Christian has always been a challenge but one well worth pursuing. Realizing that our faith is a strength and not a weakness provides us with the foundation to true success. VT