how to end abortion once and for all!

I was recently at a meeting of devoted Christ-followers who were discussing how, as one of the many ways we can love our neighbors as ourselves, we should be positively influencing public policy in our cities, states and nation.

The issue of abortion came up as perhaps one of the most important things that we should address. Clearly, the intentional killing of babies God is forming in the wombs of women is totally abhorrent to God, and should be to us as well.

But when I was given an opportunity to speak to this group, the Lord led me to say something that actually startled me as well. “I know a way we can stop all abortions in America,” I said. After hearing these words, I sensed every person in the crowd leaning forward, eager to hear my next words.

“All we need to do,” I continued, “is to ensure that every man and woman in America believes the truth that bearing and raising a child, while expensive and challenging at times, is one of the greatest privileges we have as humans. If you could do that, there could be an abortion clinic on every street corner, and abortion pills available for free, but no one would ever use them! If pressured to abort, they would respond by saying: ‘What? Kill this precious child and take away my joy of raising him or her for the glory of God? No way!!’”

Consider this friends: in bearing and raising a child, we truly let God use our marital intimacy to create a boy or girl (or, sometimes, twins or triplets) who are created in God’s image with the potential of influencing our world during their lifetimes, and then living forever in His Eternal Kingdom! That is an incredible gift to us and to our loving, powerful Lord!!

So, if this is true, why do people still have abortions? We “pro-lifers” naively assume people abort because they have a sincere desire to kill an unborn boy or girl. While that is the result of abortion, the motivation for a woman to “terminate her pregnancy” is actually due to the fact that she finds herself inconveniently pregnant with a child she and/or her partner do not wish to bear and raise.

And, in our modern world, we expect that medical technology will guarantee for us an impenetrable wall between sex and pregnancy. So when an unexpected and undesired pregnancy results, we feel we are entitled to end it: we didn’t want to bear and raise a child, and, after all, we have a fundamental right to sex without pregnancy!

But what do us “pro-life” Christians do? Let’s face it, we have bought the same lie that sex is something we deserve, but children should only be born if they are “planned” by us. Otherwise they might interfere with our careers and financial goals.  So, for “self-protection,” we take deliberate steps to prevent our sex from producing that unwanted/unplanned child.

Don’t you see what we are doing? We have the same motivation as those who abort: we too want our sex, but we choose to take steps to prevent pregnancy. So, we have the same motivation as those who abort, and we produce the same result: no little boy or girl is born! We just use a different means! Do you think God is impressed? Of course not!

Jesus, who looks at the heart, said in the Sermon on the Mount that hatred is the moral equivalent of murder, and that lust is the driving force of adultery. Likewise, insisting on an impenetrable wall between sex and the creation of children and taking deliberate steps to make that happen is the moral equivalent of abortion.

Friends, we followers of Christ who have absorbed the world’s thinking in this area need to repent!

Isn’t Jesus the author of life, and isn’t He supposed to be Lord of EVERY area of our lives? Doesn’t that include the area of our family size? Let me suggest that a healthy married couple should be open to God for the children He wants to create in and through them. Biology and statistical chance do NOT determine what your child’s gender nor what their qualities will be. Carefully re-read Psalm 139, especially verses 13-16. Children are God’s creation and are made in His image. Getting pregnant is not automatic. Couples who long for a child know this deeply.

What if you have limited resources? Living by faith means taking risks when God clearly leads, and then trusting Him to provide. There is no place for laziness, but neither is there place for cowardice. We must not live for ourselves and our own comfort and security. Real Christians get out of the boat and walk on the water when Jesus says, “Come.” In our experience, I recall many times when we faced financial pressures. I would pray something like this, “Lord, I know you love me and have promised to meet our needs according to your glorious riches in Christ Jesus. But I also know you really love children. Lord, look at the children you have given us and who belong to you. For their sake, please meet our financial needs!” God always, I mean always came through!

What if there are health concerns? Obviously, you report to God in all of this, and you make your decision about additional children based on the information you have and how God specifically leads you. Contraception in these situations is not always evil. But don’t be too quick to forego being open for an additional child out of fear.

When a couple physically cannot bear another child, they are still commanded in Scripture to meet one another’s needs sexually. (See I Corinthians 7:2-5) One of God’s purposes for sex is deep communication between husband and wife. Such is a barometer of a healthy marriage.

While there is so much more to be said in this area, I hope this at least initiates a much-needed discussion among the Body of Christ, leading to massive repentance and life change.