No Matter What

When he was thirteen years old, Ryan Bomberger realized he had a story to tell. He had recently come to understand the circumstances of his birth—his birth mother had conceived him through rape and given him up for adoption. Although it was 1970, abortion was legal in cases of rape. As Ryan says, “The fact that my birth mother could have aborted me played a huge role in my own pro-life beliefs.”

Ryan got married as a young man, and he and his wife, Bethany, began an organization called the Radiance Foundation. Their mission was to use various media to affirm the value of life.

The Radiance Foundation’s first project was a pro-adoption-themed ad campaign that addressed the disproportionate number of abortions in the black community. According to Ryan, who is both black and white, African Americans are up to five times more in danger of death by abortion than any other demographic. Ryan and his organization placed eighty billboards around Atlanta to raise awareness of this fact. It didn’t take long to face pro-choice opposition.

The NAACP accused the Radiance Foundation of racism. In response, Ryan wrote an article detailing the NAACP’s pro-abortion actions. The two organizations ended up in court where the judge ruled in favor of the NAACP, saying that no one was allowed to say the NAACP condones abortion, despite evidence to the contrary. Through ongoing court cases, Ryan and Bethany refuse to back down.

If you think your past is an obstacle to being used by God, think of Ryan’s life and think again. Or consider Moses, one of the most unlikely heroes of the Bible.

Moses’s birth mother was forced to give him up. As a man, Moses committed murder. Moses was in hiding when God spoke to him from a burning bush, calling this ordinary person to confront Pharaoh and lead God’s people out of slavery.

Like Ryan, Moses was not a revolutionary looking for a fight. He was willing to endure conflict because he loved God. And like Ryan, Moses believed that no matter what was in his birth story, his childhood, or his adult mistakes, God could work through him to do something great.

Set the timer on your phone for ninety seconds and write down what you believe God wants you to do with your life.

What would you do for God if you had no fear?