God’s Solutions for Today’s Problems #5
Our passage from the Word of God today is Isaiah 41:10. It reads, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Our quote for today is from Benjamin Lotter. He said, “Today is a new day. Yesterday’s mistakes cannot affect today’s possibilities unless you dwell on them.”
Our problem today is “The Problem of Abortion in Your Life” (part 5) from the book, “The Guide to Biblical Counseling” by Dr. Tim Clinton and Dr. Ron Hawkins:
Today, we want to offer some “Action Steps” you can take to deal with abortion:
If You Are Contemplating Abortion:
1. Consider Options. You may feel that your only option is an abortion. This simply isn’t so. Throughout the United States, there are nearly 3000 Crisis Pregnancy Centers staffed by volunteers who want to give true alternatives and who will lovingly help you. Find the nearest Crisis Pregnancy Center in your community. Look in the Yellow Pages under the heading “Abortion Alternatives” or call 1-800-848-LOVE. (To find more resources or a crisis pregnancy center in your area, go to www.lifecall.org.)
2. Communicate. You will need to communicate with other family members about the situation. Assess how to do that (depending on what you know of the family members). if needed, get a third party, such as a pastor, counselor, or trusted friend involved in such a conversation.
3. Get Help. Get your parents or a trusted friend to contact the Crisis Pregnancy Center with you.
4. Follow Up. Set another appointment with your pastor or counselor to follow up on your progress. Although you may regret your pregnancy, you can begin immediately to make some wise choices regarding the future of your baby.
If You Have Had an Abortion in the Past:
1. Tell Your Story. Continue to tell your story through future counseling sessions and journaling.
2. Get Help. Several organizations and materials exist to facilitate the healing from abortion. To help with this, please feel free to check out Post Abortion Treatment and Healing at www.HealingAfterAbortion.org. Also, check out Silent No More Awareness at www.silentnomoreawareness.org.
3. Find Support. If there is a confidential grief support group in your area, I would encourage you to attend their sessions.
4. Be Reassured. God loves you and accepts you just as you are. God has forgiven you and He wants you to forgive yourself and move forward in His plan for you.
Healing from an abortion is a process and certainly cannot be accomplished in one counseling sessions; however, healing is possible. Forgiveness, including an ability to accept God’s forgiveness and to forgive yourself, are possible through God’s grace.
Abortion is not the unforgivable sin.
In our final podcast on this subject, we will offer some “Biblical Insights” to dealing with abortion.