Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson was a normal girl living in California… She grew up in a Christian home with her little brother and older sister. Her dad was a pastor and her mother was involved in the ministry as well. Katheryn loved music. She loved singing and she loved hearing new music-especially secular music which was not allowed in her home. Katheryn knew that when she grew up she wanted to be a singer. She planned on it her whole life growing up.

When Katheryn was 13 her parents gave her a guitar. She practiced as much as she could until she was really good. Something happened within the next 5 years of her life. Katheryn began sneaking secular music into her room. She broke her parent’s rules. The more sneaking she did the more she slipped into a secular lifestyle. At age 17 Katheryn quit her Christian high school and moved to LA to pursue a musical career under the stage name Katy Perry; “Perry” being her mothers maiden name. Katy Perry has since then rejected her religious background and her relationship with God.

Katy has not completely refused to acknowledge God. She has a tattoo on her wrist that says “Jesus”. She got it done at age 18 and said she got it “so that I won’t forget where I came from”. She also has posted a few Bible verses on her Twitter page in the past. In an interview in 2013 she stated: “I’m not a Buddhist, I’m not a Hindu, I’m not a Christian, but I still feel like I have a deep connection with God.”

In a song called “Who Am I Living For?” she wrote these lyrics:

“It’s never easy to be chosen, never easy to be called

Standing on the front line when the bombs start to fall

I can see the heavens but I still hear the flames calling out my name.

I can see the writing on the wall, I can’t ignore this war

At the end of it all, who am I living for?”

In a commentary on the song’s meaning/purpose Katy said this: “I guess where I come from is still inside of me and nipping at my heels everyday. There’s a song on my new record which talks about my convictions – it’s a song called ‘Who Am I Living For’… I think probably one of the things that is most important in life is not collecting all this stuff or trying to be as famous as possible but to worry about your soul and your spirit and what’s happening next.”

Critics compared Katy Perry’s life to the song and said that “Who Am I Living For?” speaks of her “constant battle between staying true to her faith, and falling down in the perils of a celebrity lifestyle.”

So what am I getting at? I brought up Katy Perry’s story to pose the same question she asked in her song.

Who are you living for? 

It’s very easy these days to let the lights, the drama, the glory, the fun, and the excitement that the world has to offer outweigh the purpose of your decision to be a Christian. It’s okay to admit that I have been tempted many times to forsake my Christian calling and become a girl who lives for the world.

Katy Perry decided that living for the world would bring her more fulfillment than living for God. You may be thinking that that will never happen to you, but think about this for a moment. Who are you living for? At the end of it all, are you looking for approval and acceptance from your peers? The culture? Or Jesus Christ?

If you’re looking for approval from the world and people in the world you will ALWAYS fail. No matter what you do, you will always be trying to be better, amount to more, achieve more. You will never be satisfied by looking for fulfillment in the world. But did you know that even if you were living for God and looking to get approval from Him you will always fail too? WHAT?! It’s true.

God doesn’t want you trying to earn your way into His good graces or get approval from Him.

You already have His approval. His Son lives in you. The fact that you do fail and that you do mess up is the reason Jesus died for you so that you wouldn’t have to look at yourself as a failure anymore. Because Jesus is living in us we should be alive for Him and alive in Him. When we look to the world for our treasure we are ignoring Christ’s Life in us.

1 John 2:15-16 says, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.…” 

Does this mean that we should never experience happiness on earth? Does this mean we should never enjoy a movie or a good time with our friends? No, that’s not what this verse is implying. This verse applies to the state of our hearts. Are our hearts, minds and souls turned face-ward to God or is our heart, mind, and soul bent on getting the attention of the culture and world around us?

When we are tired and lonely do we decide to spend time alone with God or sit around and watch movies and eat food to make us feel better? We need to evaluate our lives and figure out the source of our happiness and fulfillment; then we will really know who we are living for.

Sadly, our culture demands your attention!

Katy Perry was a young girl who was deeply effected by the fame and glory that the culture portrays to young people and she fell victim to slavery. She lives as a millionaire celebrity but she is a slave to the culture that will always demand more and more of her life. Without knowing it, most of us have begun to be entrapped in this whirlwind too.

Before long, if we continue on the path to worldly fulfillment we will be violently sucked into the culture’s mindset and lifestyle. When we are being fed images of beautiful girls, popular people, new trends, fancy lifestyles and the newest fashion, it’s really easy to want to become part of that lifestyle.

But we need to recognize that it’s the devil who is really at work here. He want’s to twist our hearts so that we will be molded and conformed to an image of the world. And he starts in our hearts.

Here are 3 easy ways to guard your heart and stand against the devil and the pressures and demands put on you daily from the world.

1. Put on the whole armor of God: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:12-13

2. Read your Bible daily and other encouraging devotionals: We need to honor God with our whole being if we are going to foil the devils plans to bring you down. You can do this by always trying to read at least one chapter in your Bible daily. Also, try to read other books that will encourage and build up your faith. Check out our “Resources” page for some ideas.

3. Invest in Accountability: FIND SOMEONE TO HELP YOU! You can’t fight this battle alone. You need to talk to your mom or your dad or pastor or friend about the demanding world and the pressure you feel. They will understand because they experience it too. Everyone does. You can help each other by praying and talking through the difficult matters that are presented with this conversation.

So, at the end of it all, ask yourself: Who am I living for?

“For the death that Jesus died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:10-11