Miley Cyrus first hit the Hollywood scene at the mere age of 12 as Hannah Montana. Now 17, this young star has had a bumpy road from small town girl to pop idol. Her first major controversy came at age 15 when she posed for Vanity Fair with only a bed sheet wrapped around her. Then at the Teen Choice Awards last year she danced next to a pole while premiering her hit song “Party in the U.S.A.” Cyrus was recently seen grinding at a club with an older male, and just came out with her new music video “Can’t Be Tamed” which features some suggestive dancing, posing and clothing.

Along with her controversy she has done some good by helping out relief efforts in Haiti. Cyrus is very forthright about her Christianity and partners with Disney to encourage kids to leave a lighter footprint on the planet.

Now the question remains: Is Miley Cyrus growing up too fast?

I don’t think that can be answered simply. I think Cyrus is between a rock and a hard place. She is almost a legal adult and is on the last season of Hannah Montana. If she continues to mature career-wise she will have a following after the show ends. If she fails to do so then she risks losing her relevance in Hollywood and may end up like Hilary Duff. I don’t think her latest video was necessarily age appropriate but I can’t say that I blame her; it’s a catch-22 for her. Cyrus is also 17 and, being a young person, is bound to make mistakes. So yes, I think she is growing up too fast, but I think it’s a necessary evil if she is to have a career in show business.

As Christians, we have so few players in this business that we need all the help we can get. I’m not saying that Miley Cyrus is Mother Theresa, but she hasn’t renounced Christ yet so I’m going to take her at her word and pray that she does a better job at representing Christianity. She’s a young saint and has lots to learn, but could do some really good things in the future.