Reimagining Pro-Life: 30 Days With Save the Storksنموونە

HEART //  

In today’s passage, God gives us a clear picture of what it looks like for us to follow Him: “walk in the way of love,” just as Christ did in His life and death. For those blessed with the good gift of mobility, walking is something that happens without thought, seamlessly and constantly throughout the day. Love should be like that, too. Love defines us, as children of Love Himself (1 John 4:8). 

Still, loving like God is not always ‘safe.’ It’s risky! We often feel hurt or disappointed when we sacrifice ourselves for others and do not receive the same love in return. Wouldn’t it be great if we could walk in love without encountering bumps in the road? When we are tempted to believe that the easiest path is the best path, we must remember that Christ didn’t just encounter a few potholes as He walked in love. His life was filled with suffering and rejection. When Christ “loved us and gave himself up for us,” we were unlikable. His closest companions were selling Him out, reacting out of faithless desperation or running in fear (John 18) — much like we tend to do, perhaps more often than we’d like to admit. 

More than this, we were in complete opposition to Him, yet He still lovingly chose to die for us when we could neither comprehend nor appreciate His sacrifice (Romans 5:8). Getting hurt or feeling disappointed can be heartbreaking, but Christ is the ultimate example of sacrificially loving others despite the context and regardless of the consequences.

The Good News of Jesus is that in Him we are strong enough to face any disregard, rejection, or even betrayal. Confidence in Him makes us miraculously brave! Security in Him makes us courageous enough to love the people in our lives who aren’t necessarily life-giving, people who believe differently than we do, people who are unlikable, or people who cannot possibly understand or appreciate us. ALL with healthy boundaries that promote love, of course!* Our love is supposed to be completely, ridiculously incomprehensible to anyone who doesn’t have an understanding of Jesus living through us. Look for that kind of love growing in your life today!

Being defined by love should impact every relationship, calling, job, vote, or decision in our lives because it’s in the fabric of our spiritual being. As today’s verse reminds us, it’s the way that we walk. There will be times we need to sit down, lay down, or calm down, getting our feet under us again. But when we move, may we move in the love of Christ.

*If you haven’t come to a point of knowing what healthy boundaries are in certain relationships, it’s best to seek God and wise counsel for that truth before continuing in codependent un-health in the name of ‘love.’

// WORK

In Christ, we are “dearly loved children” of God. Because we are beloved, we are called to be loving. In your life, have you ever tried to “walk in the way of love” toward an abortion-vulnerable woman, an unborn baby, or an unwanted child? If you haven’t — don’t worry. Today we’re going to begin our second fast, and you’ll have a bit more time and energy this week to reach out and show love to vulnerable people!

Make a list of the social media that you use. (Think: Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook.) Include other media that takes up your time. (TV shows, podcasts, news stations, video games, etc.) This week, you’re invited to take a break. No (nonessential) posting, checking, listening, watching, or playing. This fast will address at least two items: identity and time. To get started, write these two questions in your journal and try to make notes on them today, as well as several other times throughout the week. Just write whenever God gives you insight!

1. How has your media usage shaped your identity? 
2. What kinds of media drive you to “conform to the pattern of this world,” as Romans 12:2 warns against?

In Christ alone do we realize our true identity. In Christ alone do we have enough motivation and the right resources to love others well. Pray that God would allow you to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” as you take a break from media this week (Romans 12:2).

Our time is a valuable resource that we often squander. While there is much to be said for rest and relaxation, one major issue in our society today is media usage. Why? We so often go to our phones or flatscreens to ‘veg out,’ but it is not true rest. A 2018 study showed that the average American checks his or her phone 52 times per day. Imagine how much time we are giving each and every day to nonessential, distracting, and even harmful media usage in our lives! Author Sherry Turkle says, “Technology doesn't just do things for us. It does things to us, changing not just what we do but who we are.”

Rather than getting swept away in the river of social media, news, constant work, or entertainment, let’s spend just a week being more intentional than usual, giving our time to things that challenge our status quo, learning about pregnancy resource center options in our own cities, or looking someone in the eyes while listening to his or her story. Though we can often “expect more from technology and less from each other,” as we use it to create the “illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship,” our prayer is that this week we will learn to expect more from the relationships in our lives.