LifeDate Fall 2023 – How to Use Your Gospel-Motivated Voice For Life
by Virginia J. Flo, Director of Volunteer Relations
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).
It’s so simple, isn’t it? All you need do is serve others with the gifts the Lord has gifted to you. Yet, do you hesitate? Do you feel inadequate? Do you think you are too young or too old? Are you already overbooked with life’s events? And yet, others seem to be serving all the time. Do you ask yourself how do they do it? There is no magic answer when serving the Lord. It will take a slight change in priorities or time spent on current activities as you fit in one more or exchange something else for this new priority in your life. It can be done, and I encourage you to pray about it before diving in as this is extremely important work.
As we read in 1 Peter 4:10, we all have received gifts, and we are to use them to serve one another as good stewards of the various gifts God has given to us. This is exactly the mission of Lutherans For Life. We are equipping Lutherans and our neighbors to be Gospel-motivated voices For Life. We are here to help you be equipped to serve others in the life arena.
I have to believe you are hearing about the many life issues affecting our society today, from abortion to physician-assisted suicide and other end-of-life issues. People are being affected by laws being passed that affect life, including a baby in the womb all the way through end of life. Perhaps someone has a terminal illness and wants to be faithful to God’s plan but is also influenced by others, maybe even medical staff, suggesting ending their lives prematurely through assisted suicide as a means to avoid suffering and being a burden to their family. Our Lord promises to be with us to the very end, and we need not fear. Palliative care today has improved immensely, and there is no need to suffer, when managed appropriately. You can still have quality of life and enjoy your end days until the Lord takes you home with Him to eternity. Just because our government officials make something legal doesn’t make it right. God makes that decision, and He has given us the guidelines needed throughout scripture to do the right thing. Yet our society continues to change people’s perspectives, and even those in our church pews can go down wrong paths and participate in the inappropriate taking of a life. That is why the work of equipping through education is so important. As people hear the world’s perspective through the media, they also need to hear from you and me what God’s plan is and how to be faithful to it.
This is why we need to keep the information flowing, so both Lutherans and our neighbors get the correct information and guidance provided in God’s Word. Lutherans For Life has an abundant inventory of media in many forms that needs to be distributed. That is why we need you. Whether it’s printed material, video, social media, speakers for a life event, or something else, LFL can help you.
You now have multiple different ways you can serve as a life-affirming servant of the Lord. You can start a Life Chapter and serve your congregation, and an entire community, including other Lutheran churches. You can start a Life Team in your congregation by providing educational means in many formats to share God’s Word For Life continually. And you can be a Life Advocate as one person supporting your pastor in keeping information in your church bulletins, newsletters, social media, and however else your church communicates with your members and neighbors. We provide the means, and you provide the servant’s heart.
Won’t you let us help you get started in this important mission? Please pray about this, and if you have any questions, reach out to our Volunteer Relations Team. We are all here to help.
Virginia Flo, Director of Volunteer Relations
vflo@lutheransforlife.org • 651.333.0337
Barbara Geistfeld, Assistant Director of Volunteer Relations
bgeistfeld@lutheransforlife.org • 830.935.3415 (H) • 830.388.8640 (C)