R-Rated Christians

It was my sophomore year in college when three people walked out of a movie theater and changed my ideals. They didn't make a huge deal out of it, or ask anyone to follow, they just left in a middle of a showing.
Before then I was okay with watching any sort of film or listening to any music or watching any television show. But in doing so I was allowing horrible images, words or ideas enter my head, my body...my temple. But it is okay to do that stuff, as long as we don't act that way... right? So this is what I thought.. and many "christians" believe as well. I even, at one point, thought it was over the top for my worship leader and two other band members to leave the movie theater. I remember rolling my eyes just because they couldn't handle a sex scene or two and the f word. And as much as I thought that the idea was ludicrous, it obviously stuck with me.
When I began walking with Jesus and pursuing Him as He asked me to, my ideas began to change about the world around me. The music, the movies, the shows I infiltrated my eyes with before, began to change. The books I read seemed shallow. As my love grew deeper in Jesus and I wanted to reflect Him, my desire to do what He would do began to grow. I remembered that fateful day when those three individuals left the theater, and I began to see it as a brave and honorable thing. They were not only doing it to stay pure and not be tempted- but they also were a living example for the rest of the people in the theater. I wanted to be that way. I had changed into those "extreme Jesus freaks" that I had scoffed at before.
I don't have a TV. I haven't for the last couple of years. And I am not saying this to say, Oh look at me, I am Holy. Its just because I don't really have time to watch it if I had one, and honestly, I probably wouldn't. I don't listen to popular music because it is mostly full of degrading lyrics that revolve around sex, drinking, drugs, partying, etc. Of course there are always exceptions. Not much is black and white in this world- there is so much gray area.. and that is where the Holy Spirit supplies us with discernment. But do we listen?

Where do we stop being relevant with the world and start being different from it? Where is the line? When are R rated movies okay for Christ followers to watch? When are lady gaga videos and books full of lust okay to divulge in? When do we stop and say... If Jesus came back in this moment and I was watching/reading/looking at this.. would He be okay with it? Or better yet, would He be okay with me showing others that this is what He would do?

We are being watched. Not only by God, but by people who don't know Jesus and who are tired of the media telling them they must wear short skirts and drink till they pass out. They want something different, but if we look the same as the world- where will they find a place to land?

Obviously, I am not perfect.. and I still struggle with areas in my life such as these.. but I think it is an extremely important issue that I hope others will struggle with me in. It is worth it. Maybe one day you and I will take a stand in a packed movie theater and be scoffed at as we walk out. Maybe it will stay with people and slowly change their thinking and how they follow Jesus. I hope I can have the courage to do this, and I hope to be that example in my every day life. It is hard to stay pure in every choice- but I am not settling for being an R-rated Christian... I want to be different. I want to be like Jesus.