SHINING!!! –in an Upside-Down World

By monthly contributor, Ann Dunagan of Harvest Ministry

As a Christian woman, you have a unique sphere of influence and you are called to SHINE BRIGHTLY for our Lord Jesus in an totally “upside-down” world!

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 NKJV

“. . . these who have turned the world upside-down
have come here too . . .” Acts 17:6 NKJV

Even if you are a stay-at-home, homeschooling, homeworking mother, there are people who you come in contact with — perhaps on a daily, monthly, or seasonal basis — who need Jesus Christ. There are many ways that you can expand God’s kingdom and SHINE for JESUS, right from your home, through your life, your family, and especially your fervent prayers and Spirit-led obedience.

 

SHINING in your home

If you’re married, you have a husband to encourage and uplift (so he can fulfill God’s call on his life). If you’re a mom, you have children to train and prepare (so each one can fulfill God’s unique kingdom purposes). Never under-estimate the influence of a godly wife and mother; your impact can extend for generations. Your attitude often sets the tone for the home. Your spiritual life and daily faithfulness can be a testimony to many. Your words can speak death or LIFE, despair or HOPE, discouragement or ENCOURAGEMENT, and your prayers can make an eternal difference. The life of a godly mother is definitely counter-cultural. Just live as a happy mommy with a big smile on your face, and heads are going to turn. As a family, just SHINE bright and PRAY HARD for hearts to turn to JESUS!

 

SHINING for your Extended Family

You and your family are God’s ambassadors to your relatives and loved ones. Your life is an example and sometimes the details they notice are different than what you think. They don’t care so much about your clothing styles or modesty . . . as much as your smiles and your kindness. They don’t care so much about your furniture or homemaking expertise . . . as much as your greetings when they arrive at your door.

Years ago, I read a great article by Dean Sherman in a Last Days Ministries newsletter, called Pharisees, Sadducees, and Jesus.

• The theme begins with a look at the legalistic Pharisees during the days of Jesus. Oh, they could make a “show” about following all the rules, but these leaders had no real relationship with God.
• On the other end of the spectrum, the Sadducees were lawless and permissive. They didn’t believe in the resurrection and were super-lenient about sin. In Jesus’ day, these were the two sides of the aisle. In America today, we have our conservatives and liberals, our Republicans and Democrats; during the time of Christ, the leaders of Israel had their Pharisees and their Sadducees.
• Yet, Jesus was totally different than either group. Jesus loved and obeyed every aspect of God’s holy law, yet prostitutes and tax collectors enjoyed His presence. Jesus was full of life and love; yet His convictions were never compromised. He was (and is) amazing.

Today, Jesus lives in you and in your family. As Christians, we should be “different” from the world, yet our lives should convey a relevance that exudes LIFE and a contagious joy! As ambassadors for Christ, you are called to represent Him wherever you go — at family reunions, Christmastime, graduation ceremonies, birthday parties, weddings, and funerals.  If you have relatives who doesn’t know Jesus, you are called to be their missionaries. You could be the only true representatives for the Lord that some people will ever come in contact with. Your family has God’s Word and God’s life and God will give you His wisdom. Your presence can (and should) bring God’s presence.

 

 

By the way, if you want to “jump-start” your heart with a passion for the lost, here are a few recommendations: ERASING HELL (by Francis Chan, in direct response to Love Wins by Rob Bell, which I DO NOT recommend), THE SCARLET CORD: Nothing but the Blood of Jesus (a concise call to world missions, a brand-new book by my husband Jon Dunagan and me), and RADICAL (By David Platt)

SHINING in your Community

Surrounding your home are people who need Jesus. There are people who work in the grocery stores you frequent. There are attendants who sell you gasoline.

Even if you live in a remote area of the country, you have neighbors . . . local children, teenagers, young married couples, and families. Maybe there are elderly people in your community who need help in their yard . . . or new immigrants or foreign exchange students who are lonely. Perhaps you have interests or hobbies you enjoy . . . and people you connect with in those activities. There are people who deliver your mail . . . and UPS packages . . . and from the looks of those things you order, these delivery people will likely guess (before too long) that you’re a Christian; and they’ll be watching you.

Over the years, our family has had a great time organizing many LOCAL OUTREACH events to REACH OUT to our community. In addition to being “on-call” at all times to share the Gospel, we’ve enjoyed scheduled times, especially around seasonal holidays, to witness and to show the love of Jesus. Sometimes we’ve done random “acts of kindness”  (like sweeping sidewalks, picking up garbage, cleaning parks, or giving away free hot cocoa). Other times, the focus has been specifically evangelistic. For our family, it’s been a great way to get outside of our “Christian-bubble” and to put real-life faces to “the lost” we’re praying for.

Wherever you are, just SHINE for Jesus, and simply obey each little “prompting” in your heart to step out and to share love and God’s Word. Stir your heart with God’s passion for the lost and begin to care more for the eternal destinies of acquaintances and relatives than trying to impress them. Live to please God, not people.

 

SHINING on the Internet

If you’re reading this on your computer, you also have an ability to influence others through online networking. As women of God, we need to establish safeguards (in both our use of time and in appropriate accountability), but over the past several years I have found online social networking to be incredibly effective . . . not only in our ministry to Christian families and to missionaries throughout the world, but also to our extended family and relatives. I can easily connect with a distant niece or a backsliden young adult . . . and he or she can simply begin to watch our family do life . . . and see the difference.

I can radiate God’s life in a dark world. With a little click I can link to a powerful prolife video or a simple Gospel presentation. I can post status updates about things I’m passionate about, like loving orphans or motivating families for world missions and share quick testimonies about the awesome goodness of God. I can even post links and updates about going to church, and this news (along with the direct church link) can “pop-up” directly on my unbelieving friend’s facebook wall.

The possibilities are really amazing. Sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to invite an unsaved neighbor or relative to church, but if we connect through the internet, the “door” to your church website or to a message of God’s salvation can be only one click away . . . directly from a place they already frequent (their facebook wall). I can live God loudly and influence many, even without leaving my home. I’ve learned how to make YouTube videos, how to use Twitter, and how to write blog articles. Just today, I had a deep discussion with a Mormon woman who was searching for the truth. Through blog comments, we “talked” back-and-forth about faith and self-efforts . . . the blood of Jesus and the Cross . . .and what it really means to have a living and vibrant relationship with Jesus.

 

SHINING in the World (Who is our neighbor?)

As Christians, we’re also called to be a light for Jesus in this world.

Hudson Taylor said,
“The Great Commission is not an option to consider;
it is a command to obey.”

My husband Jon and I often say,
“Missions is not just for missionaries;
God’s call is for all.”

Every Christian, and every Christian family is called to be a part of God’s global mission. You might not be called the “front-lines” in remote geographical areas (although you might! — our family sure is!), you are called to help expand God’s kingdom in whatever “sphere of influence” God has placed you. Allow God to expand your heart for others and to expand your spheres, beginning with specific areas of COMPASSION that God has placed on your heart. Do you care for unborn babies? Do you care for lonely families? Do you care for abused young women? Do you care for children? Do you care for a specific nation or people group, or for people who have never heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

(By the way, this past week and half, my husband Jon and I, along with our son and daughter-in-law Josh and Anna, had the exciting opportunity to share the good news of Jesus in churches all across the nation of Ireland, encouraging families to expand God’s kingdom and to get more of God’s heart for world missions. The land and people were so beautiful and the Lord really stirred our hearts with His love for this nation. Oh, we had a fabulous time!!!)

(My husband and I, this past week . . . in Ireland)

In closing, I want to share a short teaching (my son actually made this video for me) about how we as Christians are called to “Turn the World Upside-Down!” Sometimes, I don’t think we don’t take time to pray for the lost, or to share our faith, or even to care . . . because we don’t realize how eternally important this really is. In reality, it’s big, with bigger ramifications than any of us can imagine. It’s about light and darkness, good and evil, heaven and hell.

(Note from Wemmick Girl: The following is an excellent video where Ann Dunagan talks about how the Kingdom of God is completely different from this world’s “kingdom”.  If you are reading this in an e-mail, you’ll need to click through to the blog to see the video.  Enjoy and be blessed!)

Let’s SHINE brightly for Jesus . . . in every sphere of our influence . . . and with God’s help, let’s start turning this world upside-down (so it’s right-side up!).

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