In April we offered a prize to the winning entry in our Defy the Darkness Writing Contest. We wanted to hear your thoughts on how Christians can bring light to an ever darkening world and offer redemptive home to the crumbling foundations of our world. We received many quality responses from young writers across the country. Our sincere thanks to all who took this contest seriously and thought about what it means to defy the darkness.
And here is the winning entry...
How We Can Bring Redemptive Hope to Our Culture
by Andrea Renardel de Lavallette
The world is under the rule of the prince of darkness – Satan – who is continually working to spread his darkness in the hearts of the people. Our culture’s morals and biblical foundations are crumbling under the power of his rule as people move farther away from God and His standards. Spiritual darkness is spreading, but there is hope to give and light to shine in this darkness. Jesus Christ, who died for the sins of all mankind, said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12). Christ is our hope.
As Christians, we have a role to play. Our culture is turning away from Christ into spiritual darkness, and it needs the light of Christ. We cannot change the hearts of the people; only Christ can. However, we can spread His light and share the redemptive hope of the gospel with the world. We can bring redemptive hope to our culture by telling others about Christ, sharing His Word, and living a life of faith.
Telling others about Christ is not always easy, but by doing it we help spread Christ’s redemptive hope. Christ commanded us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). We need to be strong and courageous and get past our fear of man. We have to stop wondering what people think of us, and focus on what God thinks of us. Are we spreading His gospel or are we too afraid to speak? Can we, like the apostle Paul, say that we “are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16)? Together, we must ask God to help us tell others about Him amidst our weaknesses.
The second way that we can bring redemptive hope to our culture is by sharing the Word of God – the Bible. The Psalms say that “the entrance of Your [(God’s)] words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130). When we don’t have the words to say, we have God’s Word. His Word is powerful and alive; we need to share it with those around us. The darkness of our world fades when the light of God’s Word shines through. “The commandments of Jehovah are pure, giving light to the eyes” (Psalm 19:8b)
Another way that we can bring redemptive hope to our culture is by living a life of faith. Our example will influence others. Christ said to us: “You are the light of the world…Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Mark 5:14, 16). By living a life of faith and following God, we become lights amidst the darkness of our culture. To consistently live a life that will bring glory to God, we need to fill our minds with truth. We should not continually let ourselves be influenced by the world. We need to choose carefully the books we read and the movies we watch, among many other things. “For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 13:47).
By telling others about Christ, sharing His Word, and living a life of faith, we bring redemptive hope to our culture. We can help spread the light of Christ in a world that is lost in spiritual darkness. Let us persevere and be lights!
Look for Andrea's essay in the July issue of "Word is Out," Lamplighter's Biblical insights e-newsletter.
