God won! We need to celebrate that! The honor and glory go to the Creator and sustainer of life!
After continual negative headlines, a breakthrough has finally happened as Roe v Wade was overturned! It is settled. The Supreme Court has finally ended 50 years of pro-choice and has declared it is no longer a federal constitutional right “to choose the life of the unborn,” handing the power back over to the states. This is a huge victory because almost half of the states are already expected to put laws into place that will prohibit or restrict abortions.
God won! We need to celebrate that! The honor and glory go to the Creator and sustainer of life!
But, the battle is far from over. As I write this article, details are still coming out, and American citizens are at the edge of their seats wondering what all this means for the future of women's rights and the lives of the unborn. While it is evident that our nation is divided on this issue, sparking heated emotions on both sides, we need to pause and pray. Pray for our nation. Pray for our states. And pray that God will restore peace in these restless times.
God’s View on Abortion
As with any hot topic in our society, it is wise to seek God’s view and discern what is right in His eyes. The Bible is clear that “every” human life has intrinsic value. We see it in the beginning when God made man (and woman) in His own image (Gen. 1:27). God also tells us that we are His most prized possession (James 1:18). His compassion for us compares to no other.
Due to God’s unfailing love for us, He has a purpose for our lives. It all begins with the roles given to a husband and wife, commanding the husband to lovingly lead and the wife to nurture (Ephesians 5:22-33). As a couple, He commands us to be fruitful and multiply (Gen. 1:28). However, when this gets out of balance, and we have intimate relations outside of the confines of a healthy marriage, hardship generally follows.
The Bible tells us that God is sovereign in all things, including the life of the unborn. When people go against His Word and disregard life, severe consequences happen. Basically, when life is cheapened, threatened, or sadly destroyed, this dishonors our God. Abortion goes against God’s will for our lives, and in the end can bring on such grief, shame, and guilt.
A Woman’s Right
When we discuss women’s rights, it usually begs to question - The right to what exactly? The women’s rights movement of the late 19th century addresses a wide range of issues and quite honestly, we have come a long way since then. However, the right to abort an innocent life has nothing to do with women’s rights or “her” body.
We must understand and grasp the concept that a woman should have the right to care for her own body, especially during pregnancy, and recognize the truth that an unwanted pregnancy can be painful and agonizing, but a woman should not decide the fate of her unborn child. Instead, women should be given other options that will prevent the grief and pain of abortion, providing easier ways to seek wisdom and counsel.
And the notion of this ruling claiming that women’s rights have been stripped away is simply untrue. While I do believe women’s rights are still at stake, it has nothing to do with abortion rights. Rather, our identity as a woman is what is truly under attack here, especially as our nation drifts further and further away from God’s handiwork. Women have gotten lost in the shuffle of the identity crisis, losing sight of the meaning of womanhood.
The Right of the Unborn
Sadly, we have also lost the meaning of life. When the view of an unborn baby isn’t seen as viable, emotions can be pushed aside. Yet, a momma-to-be is usually emotionally moved upon hearing the sound of that fluttering heartbeat. That heartbeat is recognizable as early as 18 days after conception, and when shared with a mother considering abortion, has caused her to have a change of heart.
It is also important to note that when a mother looks at an ultrasound, as early as 8-10 weeks, and sees protrusions of arms and legs, and the shape of a person, it becomes apparent that she is indeed carrying a life. A little life that has taken the shape of a person with cells and DNA, a person who has the right to live.
Generally, a woman doesn’t find out she is expecting until around 6-8 weeks, as the hormones (hCG) are not generally picked up on a pregnancy test until then. However, that being said, by the time those two pink lines show up, that mom is making choices for not just “her” body, but the body of the life growing inside of her.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalm 139:14
God values human life, from the beginning – starting in the womb. As lovers of Jesus, we are called to be lovers of life. As the news continues to stream in, continue to pray that the state lawmakers choose life and see it as a duty to protect the lives of the precious unborn.
Photo Credit: ©Tessa Rampersad/Unsplash
