"Radiant." Dictionary.com describes this, among other things, as:
1. Emitting rays of light; shining; bright.
2. Bright with joy, hope, etc.
Let me tell you, it was my great privilege and joy to meet with a young lady this week who is all these and more. The best part? She's this way because of what Christ is doing in her life!
The keen eye noted, I'm sure, that today's blog is entitled, "Radiant...Now" (couldn't figure out a way to italicize the title above). I'm equally sure that those keen eyes are paired with sharp minds which pick up the obvious conclusion: "radiant" was not always the way this life would have been described...but it is now.
Have you ever listened to someone talk about how you should try this thing or that thing, and what a difference it has made for them? Our media world has this down to a science (albeit a predictable science) with everything from weight loss to laundry detergent. I remember listening to people talk to me years ago about what a difference Christ had made in their lives, and because of this, I should try Him, too. I also remember thinking, "That's easy for you to say...you've got it all together...you don't know what my life has been like."
It was almost humorous (and honestly, a little disheartening) to hear this young lady confess to me that this is exactly what she had thought of me and other pastors who had attempted to speak into her life over the years. While she appreciated the efforts, it had never really touched her life like she needed. And because her life had gone untouched, when it got challenging...I mean really bad...she found she didn't have the resources within her that those challenges demanded. Life got tougher, more confusing and she quite frankly didn't know if she was going to make it (in case you haven't figured it out, this is the time when she was not "radiant").
But then someone touched her life. Someone she'd heard from before, but not an "I've-got-it-all-figured-out-and-am-on-top-of-my-game" person (like she thought all pastors are - boy does she have a lot to learn about us!). The point is, someone who knew exactly what her life was like, and who obviously did not have it all figured out, chose to reach out to her in love, challenging her to take a new direction with her life.
Granted, not all stories end this way, and hers continues to be written, but let me tell you this much: she responded to the challenge, the new direction took her to Jesus, and now...she is absolutely radiant. One of the coolest parts is that she recognizes how God was using all the messed up, confusing, painful "junk" of her life to bring her to this point. She even confessed to me, "Kind of gives me a whole different perspective on my life up to now!"
I pray today, no matter what you're facing, that you'll not turn away from the One, Jesus Christ, who can just as powerfully make you radiant. If you don't believe me, just ask and I'll put you in contact with one young lady who absolutely is! "If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
And if you're one of those who have discovered the secret to being radiant, never underestimate your power to persuade someone else to investigate the One who said, "I am the Light of the World" (John 8:12). Don't you dare rely just on us "all-together" pastors to get the job done. His radiance is ready to be shared...and enjoyed...now!
