Reimagining Pro-Life: 30 Days With Save the Storksنموونە

HEART // 

The world esteems the wealthy, the influential, and the privileged. In God’s economy, it is exactly the opposite. Over and over again in Scripture, God commands His followers to honor and defend the most vulnerable people in society. The Lord doesn’t love and fight for us because we are powerful or good. (In fact, we are all poor when it comes to our own righteousness!) The Lord loves us because it’s who He is. Similarly, we actively love others because it’s who we are in Christ. 

The people who cannot speak up or fight for themselves are special in His sight. Jesus urged us to treat our hungry and needy neighbors with dignity. Why? Well, just think back to yesterday’s verse. What we do to “the least” of the people in the world, we do unto Him (Matthew 25:46).

As Christians, we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). We should be so astounded by what was purchased on the cross that we want to bring this Good News to all people. When the world looks at us, they should not remember us in terms of the sports that we play; the universities that we attend; the quality of our pictures on social media; or the sizes of our houses. The world should be struck by the way that we spend ourselves on behalf of the weak, just as Christ spent Himself on behalf of us — we who are weak apart from Jesus. 

Psalms 140:12 tells us that God alone secures justice for the poor and upholds their cause, and today’s passage calls us into that work. Often, God secures justice through us. We are to defend the unborn by proclaiming the truth about the value of life, beginning with conception, and to speak that message with love, compassion, and action while praying that those who have ears will hear. A message delivered in this manner is able to speak to the abortion-minded as well as those who have had abortions, or support or perform abortion and, by the beautiful grace of God, hearts, and minds can be changed.

Jesus calls us out of passivity. In our sinful selfishness, we often want to separate ourselves from the brokenness around us. God calls us to be different. He wants us to see people, and then He wants us to meet them with compassionate action. God so loved the world that He GAVE (John 3:16). When we call ourselves by His name, we must urgently do the same. 

// WORK

How profound has it been for you to fast negative speech? We hope that it is starting to hit you how differently the world would view the pro-life movement if compassion and love — rather than anger, judgment, and gossip — flowed from our mouths. It’s heartbreaking to think that many abortion-vulnerable women do not feel as if their lives are valued by those in the church. Our words and actions can change that. 

Today, as Compassion Week comes to a close, write down your thoughts about your experience fasting negative speech. Do you feel like you have made any necessary moves from judgment (of others or of yourself) to compassion when it comes to abortion? How about other areas of your life or ministry?

Please, watch this video of Victoria Robinson, Director of Community Engagement for Save the Storks, who works diligently to bring hope to expectant (and unexpecting) mothers. Her testimony reminds us that there are women and men suffering from the repercussions of abortion all around us — in our churches and communities — and how powerful reaching out with love can be.