Celebrating the Gift of Human Life

In honor of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, I’m sharing a compilation of some thoughts I’ve written over the years on the value of unborn life. Today and everyday, may we recognize God as the One who gives intrinsic value to each and every human being from the moment of conception, and it is a joy and privilege to proclaim His plan for humanity in a culture that devalues what God has said is “very good.”

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I once heard this quote by Greg Koukl,

If the unborn is not a human being, no justification for abortion is necessary. However, if the unborn is a human being, no justification for abortion is adequate.

How true this is. Do we have to compose clever arguments justifying the removal of a tumor—essentially a clump of cells? Of course not. So if a baby in the womb is only a clump of cells comparable to a tumor, why do people go to such great lengths to justify the decision to abort it? Because, whether a person admits it or not, they have a God-given conscience that tells them this “clump of cells” is a human; an image-bearer. And although this tiny human can’t be seen yet, they are a valuable person made in the image of God, present in the world.
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This is why we rejoice when we learn about the brand new life when they are only the size of a poppyseed. It’s why we mourn when a life the same size leaves the womb too soon. The value of a life is not dependent on whether it is wanted: it is dependent on the objective truth that human life was designed and given value by the Creator of all. And only He has the right to define the terms.

Not everyone who sees abortion as acceptable denies the reality that babies in the womb are human beings. But their justification for abortion is that they ascribe higher value to other pursuits over the basic right to life of this tiny image bearer. And, ultimately, this is a widespread idolatry problem.

Psalm 106:36-38 describes it this way:

“They served their idols,
which became a snare to them.
They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to the demons;
they poured out innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was polluted with blood.”

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This is a chilling reminder that worship of idols requires the sacrifice of those we’re called to love and serve: specifically, our children. Abortion is committed on the altar of self love, promising success, liberation, and prosperity in return. But it’s all lies. The void and guilt left in the wake of child murder can never be filled with temporal pleasures or achievements of any kind. We live in a culture that has an overarching negative attitude toward kids, and even if we’d never dream about supporting the slaughter of babies in the womb, it’s important for us to understand how this pervasive mindset can significantly affect our own thinking and actions toward kids even without us realizing it.

Don’t ever feel guilty about rejoicing over these precious little ones. Don’t let the world tell you that to acknowledge their value means devaluing someone else. Embracing God’s standard means the freedom to love all people in His perfect way, including the unborn.

At the end of every baby book I make for my kids I include a picture of their ultrasound next to a picture of them at a year old. I want them to have no doubt that they have been loved dearly from the moment we found out about them, before we could see them with our own eyes. I want them to know that their lives are gifts, and always have been. I want them to know that every bit of morning sickness, every ache and pain, every labor and delivery, every sleepless night, every urgent care trip, every tear shed, every penny spent, every pursuit that’s been put on hold, every extra mess, every lingering effect on my body are beyond worth it for the privilege of being their mama. For the kiddos who were a surprise to us, I want them to know God knew infinitely better than we did the timing for another child, filling our lives with delight. I want to combat any lie that the enemy and the world that would tell them they’re an inconvenience, a hindrance, a “Plan B,” with assurances of my love and—more importantly—God’s love and perfect plan for them.

I want my children to know I wouldn’t trade them for any career, any worldly accolades, any convenience, any fortune, any temporary ease. They have been used by God as tools to reveal and root out sin, to flood my weakness with the grace of God, to increase my joy.

“My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.”
Psalm 139:15-16

Your friend,

If you’re looking for more encouragement for yourself or another during the season of pregnancy, I’d love to point you to my book ‘Expectant: Cultivating a Vision for Christ-Centered Pregnancy’. In a culture where treasuring unborn life is increasingly frowned upon, I hope this book will point you back to Jesus and His incredible design for motherhood from the point of conception.