Radiant Femininity: A Radical Flag

They placed her on the stake again and the waters of the Solway rolled over her head. Margaret was instantly in the presence of her Lord.

She was only seventeen when it happened. Faced with a tyrant king and trying crowd, she was threatened – to deny her faith in Christ, to recant her stand, and pledge allegiance to the king.

“Just take the oath”, they said to her. “No sinful oath for me,” she answered.

That was it. She laid down her life for Christ on the 11th of May, 1685 in Wigtown.  

Girl, choosing to follow Christ has always been a radical walk… swimming against the tide.

You may not be faced with a squad ready to drown you like Margaret was, but definitely, you’ve got to be countercultural.

Why?

The world and the church cannot jog together, in Catherine Booth’s words. If you’ve chosen to be a radiant girl – reaped in the vineyard of Biblical Femininity – you’ve signed up for a Christ-like life, which is opposed to the contemporary society.

In fact, Jesus made this very plain to us when he said, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19). Yes.

The following points tell the story:

1.Your Saviour is Divine: look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. (Isaiah 45:22)

The contemporary voice tells us to look unto other things aside or before Christ to be saved from pain, loneliness, affliction… It says “look into yourself and find purpose, look for your prince-charming and find love, look at your dream career – throw yourself into it – and find fulfilment and joy”.

But, the counter-cultural girl knows that her Saviour is Jesus – there is none else. She accepts Him into her life as Lord. Girl, that’s the life God calls us to. You “seek ye first the kingdom of God and it’s righteousness, and every other thing will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

2. Your selflessness is Christ-like:  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. (Philip 2:4). What culture tells us is, “do your thing, please yourself, be you”. Dress the way you want, others should deal with it. Find the life you want, don’t bury yourself being a home keeper. A radiant girl knows that in losing herself in service to God and others, she finds her life.

3. Your sacrifice is unconventional: “…for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die…” (Ruth 1:16,17). Ruth had to make a decision that was against the norm. Which young woman would “foolishly” follow an old woman to an unknown land, with no hope of a better future? But Ruth’s mind was set, even when her Orpah turned back. “I let go of the life I’ve always known – family. friends, gods.” And at last, she reaped the blessings.

4. Your self-denial is challenging: And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me (Luke 9:23). When you choose to follow Christ, you relinquish ownership of yourself to Him. You’re also ready to carry your cross – the insults, persecutions, denial hurled from the world – and follow Him daily.

5. Your saltiness is savoury: Ye are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). You’re not just an empty salt, but savoury one (morally wholesome, palatable). That savour is displayed and applied as you live out Radiant Femininity.

6. Your shinning source is peculiar: They looked unto him, and were lightened (radiant): and their faces were not ashamed (Psalm 34:5). In Exodus 34: 29-25, Moses’ face shone when he descended from the mountain after spending time in God’s presence. On the other hand, Lucifer was called the sun of the morning, but that shine got corrupted with pride. So which shinning source do you seek? That from the presence of God, or the corrupted things of the world influenced by the false glow from the devil? Radiant faces emerge from a look at Christ.

7. Your struggle path is different: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life… (1 Timothy 6:12). As we take this radiant walk, we’ll be faced with temptations, opposition, and the corrupting influence of the world. Paul, knowing this, encouraged his son Timothy to FIGHT. Not the way the world fights; with the arms of flesh. The weapon of our warfare is not carnal, but mighty through God. Fight on our knees – in prayer.

Lift the Radiant Flag high, and Fly it Radically.

Remain Radiant!

P.S. – Have you grabbed a copy of the book – Radiant Femininity Mirror? Get yours here.