Monday, January 22, is National Sanctity of Human Life Day, a date that marks the anniversary of the court case Roe v. Wade legalized abortion nationwide.
Along with being a day set aside to commemorate the many lives lost to abortion, it’s also become a day to celebrate life and to commit to the protection of human life at every stage.
So in addition to the opportunities to support pro-life organizations like Human Coalition through prayer and financial gifts, and to participate in events like the National March for Life, below are 10 ways to practice the sanctity of life each day.
1. Recognize Where Life Began
Scripture is clear where life began. Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.”
Recognize each person alive is created in God’s image, formed from the dust of the ground by the Lord and made into a living being by His breathing the breath of life into their nostrils (Genesis 2:7).
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2. Choose Life
Life is God’s choice and He wants it to be your choice, too. Scripture states that God sets the choice of life and death before each person and urges us to “choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Each day you can choose life by being intentional in what you read, listen to, watch, support, and participate in to make sure it promotes life and not death.
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3. Commemorate Life Events
Acknowledge and celebrate pregnancies, births, birthdays, and anniversaries. Give recognition to life’s occurrences and mileposts. Perhaps the greatest and best way to celebrate the lives around you, the people God has called you to do life with each day, is through prayer. Pray over the expectant mothers in your church, as well as for the great grandparents, and particularly for those who are alone and don’t have loved ones around to celebrate their lives. Look for ways to care for people who may feel forgotten.
Psalm 139:14 states, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Likewise, mourn miscarriages and deaths. Matthew 5:4 states, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Make an effort to cherish life at every stage.
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4. Pray Life into Situations
Look for ways to pray life into situations. Jesus spent much time in prayer and brought life into every situation, such as described in John 11:25 where “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.’”
As the wife of a Hospice chaplain, I’m aware of how distressing and heartbreaking it is to witness a loved one suffer. Before passing away a few years ago, my own Dad experienced much pain and suffering. Even so I prayed life for him, not death, until he breathed his last breath.
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5. Respect the Mysteries of Life
Life is mysterious at times and it’s important to respect it even when it’s hard to understand, like life formed in a mother womb. “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things”(Ecclesiastes 11:5).
It’s a mystery at other times, too, like when my Mom lived out her life with Alzheimer’s disease. Some may have thought because of her condition, her life no longer had any use or value.
Yet I knew God was the Giver and Sustainer of her life, and that He hadn’t deserted her, or given any person the right to decide whether or not her life was worth living.
By submitting to God in this mystery, I experienced His love and grace through her life, despite her physical and cognitive limitations.
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6. Appreciate Life’s Priceless Value
Every person’s life is of invaluable worth to God, who was willing to pay the price for the Salvation of all (1 Corinthians 6:20).
In spite of what various groups say represent a valuable life, God has given every human a priceless value.
As with my Mom, regardless of her condition, I believed her life was precious. So rather than focus on her infirmity, I believed God’s appraisal of her worth. By doing so, Mom could live out all the days of her life in God’s timing, as she transitioned from this life to eternal life.
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7. Speak Up for Life
Proverbs 18:21 states, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Take time when opportunities arise to teach others of the sacredness of life. Don’t assume people understand important issues related to the sanctity of life. Help to cultivate a respect for life by being willing to lovingly communicate truth from God’s Word.
Proverbs 31:8 encourages you to, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.”
As well Isaiah 5:20 cautions believers to not call evil good and good evil. Be alert to groups who say abortion is the best choice for dealing with an inconvenient, unwanted, or imperfect child. Be aware of those who claim people who suffer are better off dead and hail euthanasia as a good alternative to sickness and weakness.
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8. Protect Those Who Are Weak in Life
God has a heart for the broken and the weak. Scripture states He does not ignore or belittle the suffering of the needy. Rather, He listens to their cries for help and does not turn His back on them (Psalm 22:24)
Unfortunately many in our current culture promote a philosophy that believes only those considered strong, perfect, or productive deserve to live. Anything less is viewed as a poor quality of life, and death is touted as the more compassionate, responsible answer to suffering, weakness, and incapability.
Physical death is not the answer to helplessness, suffering, and pain. It’s the penalty for sin, not the answer (Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23). Life is the answer to weaknesses and suffering. It is a sacred gift breathed into each individual by a loving Creator (Genesis 2:7).
Seek ways to reach out to someone who needs help in living out their life, even if it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient to do so. Galatians 6:2 urges believers to bear one another’s burdens.
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9. Offer Life By Sharing the Good News
John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus, of how He died and rose again to give them eternal life. Like Scripture urges, be prepared to share the Gospel in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2).
By sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, you are offering life to those around you, because “He who has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12).
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10. Live A Forgiving Life
Matthew 6:14 says, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
As Jesus died to save you, so He died for the Salvation of those who hurt you, too. By forgiving them, you are honoring God and the costly price He paid for each person’s life.
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Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Originally published Wednesday, 17 January 2018.
