by Virginia J. Flo, Director of Volunteer Relations
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11).
When is the right time to act? Is it after you have studied for a time and prayed about it? Is it after you have been encouraged to move forward? Or does it just seem like the right time is now? Well, I have a suggestion for you to consider.
If you haven’t noticed, a spiritual war continues to rage around us after Roe v. Wade was overturned on June 24. The devil isn’t willing to give up easily and remove abortion from our society. He is working hard in the political arena, in our circle of friends, and in our families on the issue of abortion. Disagreements were there before, but now people are openly speaking about them. That is a good thing, as we need voices For Life speaking up in support of God’s creation and His gift of life. When we ignore the baby in the womb and focus instead on what is now being labeled as the rights of the mother and women’s health care, we are turning our backs on God. Never has God authorized killing and called it a right. Never has God condoned promoting abortion and called it health care. His love for life is written throughout Scripture. What are we doing when we ignore His sacred Word?
The good news is that people who were silent are sharing their support for the sanctity of life. That open support is a true blessing. If ever there was a time to act on preserving life, now is the time! The stage is set, and you can make a difference! If you don’t have an active Life Team or Life Chapter in your congregation, now is the time to start one. Maybe you have been thinking about it for a while but just haven’t taken that next step. Or maybe it hasn’t occurred to you, and this is something new. Either way, please pray about this and give me a call at Lutherans For Life so I can help answer questions and help make things happen!
It took 49 years for Roe to be overturned, yet it happened. Did we have doubts it would ever happen? Yes, for sure. We should have known better because God has proven repeatedly that, when we pray, He may grant more than we are able to ask for or understand. We need to learn that if we want to pray properly, we should accustom ourselves to pray with confidence and not be distracted by the greatness of our request. If God doesn’t grant our prayers, the time may not be right, but He has granted our prayer to overturn this unjust ruling. Right now, there is work to do to share the For Life message in our congregations and communities. Both life in the womb and life at the end of life needs to be supported. We need to protect life from fertilization to natural death. Being For Life is right in line with God’s plan of creation! YOU are the missing element that is needed! Don’t be satisfied to sit back and wait because now is the time! Don’t stop praying as you ponder your next step. Ask God for His guidance and be ready for more than you asked for, as we have a loving and merciful God who loves life. Please consider being a part of a life-affirming ministry in your congregation. Help protect lives and serve God in this special calling.