A Bi-weekly singles column by Ashley Peterson
“I want to be like Nicki Minaj when I grow up,” said Sheila, a precocious 15-year-old with a face piercing beneath her bottom lip on the right side. I sat in my chair at the front of the room listening to this beautiful teenaged girl who was slouched in her seat with light pink streaks of hair in her bangs, and a matching ponytail hanging midway down her back. Her smooth mocha skin, slanted dark brown eyes, and radiant smile complemented by a perfectly straight set of teeth, make her really stand out.
Sheila is one of the “cool girls” who “only comes to church because her grandmother makes her,” she tells me every chance she gets. I always respond, “Well, Ms. Sheila, I hope one day you’ll have the personal desire to come.” But consistently, the feisty teen, who has a hard exterior but is really sweet underneath it all, acts like she is tortured by the teen girls Bible study class every Thursday.
But last week, she decided she wanted to be the center of attention and have a little fun by offering up a shocking answer when I asked, “What women of the Bible might you want to be like?”
Nicki Minaj clearly wasn’t the answer I was expecting to receive!
“You probably don’t even know who Nicki Minaj is Sister Peterson, do you?” Sheila laughed sarcastically. Immediately, more than half the students in the small windowless room cackled along with her. Certain segments of the class of about 20 students high-fived each other, appearing pleased that one of their peers had managed to stump the “lame” Bible class teacher.
And they were right. I was lost.
But one of the other young women, 26, assisting me, knew exactly who Sheila was talking about. She spouted off Nicki Minaj facts at the speed of light and had a captive audience. Then she told the teens, “But Nicki Minaj is not a proper role model for you. She glorifies sex, money, homosexuality, and many things that go against God.”
I was so thankful she was there to help out, but I certainly went home and did my homework after that. I now know that Nicki Minaj, real name Onika Tanya Maraj, is a female rapper with a hyper-sexualized image, who uses some pretty objectionable language in her rhymes, and explores X-rated themes. She is signed to rapper Lil’ Wayne’s Young Money label and is very famous.
It didn’t take much looking to discover that a lot of women, young and old, who are greatly influenced by pop culture, want to be like Nicki Minaj. The superstar rapper seems to have it all by the world’s standards: beauty, money, fame, power, confidence, and admiration of millions of fans the world over.
But you and I, especially as saved single sisters, have to be careful not to get too engrossed in pop culture.
I know I do!
I am selective about what I take in, because all that talk about sex, sexiness, money, men, and vanity… child, I can’t do it. It brings my thinking too low and God wants me to keep my thoughts elevated according to Colossians 3:2 NIV that tells me, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
No good can come of igniting lustful, fleshly, and worldly desires. Instead, we need to obey Philippians 4:8 that says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”
I’m sure some of my other single ladies can agree with one of my personal rules to live by, which says, “If I start thinking wrong, I’m going to start doing wrong and I cannot afford to do that, so I keep my mind renewed.”
Some of my friends tease me and tell me I need to “keep up with the times.” But if that means indulging in activities and entertainment that will arouse lustful desires in me, no thanks!
Living the single, saved, and satisfied life is all about following the formula the Bible prescribes, and modeling my lifestyle after righteous women and men, and the principles outlined in the word of God.
Last I checked, Nicki Minaj wasn’t in there.
If you find her, please let me know.
In the meantime, I want to leave all my single sisters with this scripture from Romans 12:2 in The Message Bible interpretation. It says:
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Tell me, how do you handle pop culture influences so that you can keep your heart and mind pure?
*This article was written with consent from the subject and the subject's legal guardian. Her name has been changed for the purpose of this article
Ashley Peterson is a staff writer for EEW Magazine. Her goal is to discuss current issues related to single women and help them lead a single, saved, and satisfied like the way God intends. Email her at ashley.peterson@eewmagazine.com.