"What does Lutherans For Life do?"

"What will my gift to Lutherans For Life do?"

These are probably the two most asked questions I receive as the director of development of Lutherans For Life. My answer always starts with LFL’s mission statement. We witness to the sanctity of human life, through education, based on the Word of God.

Sometimes that statement is followed by a positive response, but more often there is a pause, as if the person is waiting for more. God’s Word is a great thing, but what do we do? One tends to get a little restless waiting for God’s Word to bring down the ills in our pro-death world.

The people in Malachi’s day put it this way: "It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape" (Malachi 3:14-15).

Every day, babies are murdered before they are born. Every day, people facing disease wait for a cure through research that uses the tiniest human life as a product for cell harvesting. Every day someone is labeled a "vegetable" and their life is no longer valued. Planned Parenthood continues to put up clinics and laws continue to stand or be created that devalue life.

What good is it to focus on God’s Word when there are so many things to do in the pro-life world? What about changing laws? What about starting caring pregnancy centers or hotlines? What about getting ultrasound machines into every pregnancy center? What about pain management for the terminally ill? What about curing diseases or infertility? The people of Malachi’s day were not the last ones to ask, "What’s the use of God’s Word?"

Let’s apply that age-old question to some practical examples. What if that pregnant teen is your next door neighbor? God’s Word will guide you to speak the truth in love! What if that post-abortive woman is sitting next to you in your weekly Bible study? God’s Word will lead you to remind her of forgiveness in Christ! What if that infertile couple is your son and daughter-in-law, or that unborn child who may have Down syndrome is your grandchild? God’s Word will give you an understanding of the sanctity of life and a hope for the future! What if that dying person in the nursing home is your mother or father? God’s Word will give your family peace in those final days and hours! What if that cancer patient is looking back at you in the mirror every morning? God’s Word will give you strength to face another day!

God’s Word can "do" something—it does every day! And more than that, through the Cross, God DID something to cure the ills of our world. What can be more exciting than being involved in an organization that bases their work on God’s Word? What can be bigger than the Gospel?

Back to the book of Malachi for a moment. Not everyone wondered about what God was or wasn’t doing. It is important to note that "… those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name" (v 16) and also "… once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him" (v 18).

Lutherans For Life exists to assist God’s people in speaking with one another. We exist to equip the church and her members to speak to others about God’s powerful gift of hope and forgiveness through Christ. We exist to remind Christians that God is at work and the battle over the wicked has already been won! What Jesus DID for us guides and supports what we DO, as individuals and as an organization.

In our human nature, this valid question remains. As stewards of God’s treasures, we are accountable for how we manage them. One of the best ways to learn what LFL is doing is through this issue of LifeDate. Check out GOD’S WORD For Life, Teaching For Life, Renewal For Life, and the development of more Spanish For Life materials. These things happen because of donors just like you! Our national staff, board, and state presidents are listed here.

Your gifts support national, state, and local people witnessing about God’s message of Life. I hope you will call us for a copy of our new Life Resource Catalog. It will give you the big picture of what Lutherans For Life can provide because of your support.