You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:14-16 NIV


 

God is calling forth a radiant generation—one who understands their call to live as light in the darkness. As an author and speaker, I spend much of my time traveling to college campus, interacting with young women who profess Christ, yet struggle to overcome the darkness of their culture. The lure of sexual sin, eating disorders, substance abuse and rampant materialism cripples their witness. After several years of ministering to this generation, I sensed God leading me to write Radiant, teaching women how to shine brightly in a dark world. 

One of the primary challenges I address in Radiant is the issue of the divided heart. While many students I meet may have grown up in Christian homes, made a profession of faith, and even love Jesus; their hearts are torn by the influence of culture and love for the world.  In the following excerpt from Radiant, I address the need for an undivided heart.

 

Every woman must ask herself, “Am I influencing the world or is the world influencing me?”  We are called to be light in the darkness, but so often we are naïve to the fact that the darkness is working hard and around the clock to put our light out. A great illustration of this truth is found in the Biblical story of Samson and Delilah.  Truly, theirs is one of the most soap-opera-esque stories in all of Scripture. If you haven’t read it, I recommend flipping your Bible to the book of Judges chapters 13-16 and reading Samson’s story from start to finish. His life portrays the ramifications of a divided heart.
Samson was born to a God-fearing family in the midst of a seriously dark time in Israel’s history. The nation had turned away from God and was living decadently without regard for the Lord’s ways. (Sound a little familiar?) Yet, in the midst of this darkness, one family loved and feared the Lord. The Angel of the Lord appeared to a barren woman telling her that she would soon have a son and her child would be set apart to the Lord.  The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the LORD blessed him. 
Samson was set apart to the Lord. Much like our calling to live radiant lives, we, too are called out and set apart to display the glory of God in a godless world.  Here’s the coolest thing about the story —are you ready for this—Samson’s name meant, Of the Light. Samson as the lone man of God in his generation was the light bearer—the one to whom all the others in darkness were to watch to know the way.
So, guess what happened? The enemies of God did everything and anything to thwart Samson’s purpose and mission. Most of their attempts failed, except for one. Samson was lured and enticed away from God through a divided heart.
 
Samson’s lure had a name…Delilah. 
Delilah was beautiful.
Delilah was seductive.
Delilah was the object of Samson’s desire.
Over time, Delilah captured Samson’s heart, and he disclosed to her the secret to his power, his devotion to the Lord. By the way, guess what Miss Delilah’s name means: Of the Darkness.
The entire story of Samson and Delilah symbolizes how darkness seduces, entices, and lures us into turning away from God. Samson (of the Light) fell for the tricks of Delilah (of the darkness) and his divided heart led him to forsake his God-given role.  Delilah was successful. Her charms overpowered Samson’s commitment to the Lord and he forsook his call to live as Light.
 
Here are a few warning signs that our hearts are divided:
1.)    Our passion for God and His Kingdom purposes begins to cool
2.)    We become complacent about sin and lack conviction when we do rebel
3.)    Our light in this dark world begins to diminish
So, as you can see, a heart divided by the world is a serious matter.[1]

Like Samson, our culture desires to extinguish our light. The world’s seductive and deceiving agenda finds a megaphone into our homes through television. I’ve recently learned that the average middle school girl is exposed to roughly 280 sexual images a day. Images that reinforce with every frame that her value and worth as a woman are found in being used as a sexual object. Is it any wonder that an entire generation of young girls see themselves as usable goods and who feel ashamed of their virginity?  A divided heart is the result of the brainwashing that young women endure on a daily basis.

            It is my prayer that God will use Radiant to both challenge and equip young women to stand boldly and to shine brightly for His glory.  After all, Jesus did call us “The light of the world!”


[1] Radiant: Living as Light in Your Dark World by Marian Jordan B&H Publishing 2010