Being A Christ-Like Pro-Lifer
Many years ago, while pastoring a small church, after some event, my family was cleaning up—me, my children, and my wife. One of my children said, “Dad, how come we are the only ones doing this?” My answer to him was that “We serve the Lord.” It was not a matter of our share vs others’ shares. I believed then, as now, that others should have pitched in and helped. But we do not work because others work. We work because we are the Lord’s servants.
Jesus operated by this motive: “I must be about my Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). One aspect of being Christ-like is having a servant’s heart. I must serve the Lord even though others do not—even if it’s not important to many or even unpopular. “I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29). That is how Jesus served. Our sinful nature means we have a natural tendency to please ourselves. Being Christ-like, though, means we have to live counter to what we feel like.
One of the things that can be discouraging to serving the Lord is the sheer “bigness” of what needs to be done. There is so much to do. Jesus felt this as well when it says, Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. “Moved with compassion” is translated from the original Greek word, “splagchnizomai”. It originates from the word for “spleen”. The word is talking about the bowels and intestines which is where we feel our emotions. He saw “much people” who were in need. It was overwhelming. So what did He do? It says, “He began to teach them many things.” He may have felt overwhelmed but He did what He could at the moment with the opportunity available.
Much of the Gospels show Jesus helping individuals, one by one. Read Mark 5. There we see Jesus caring for 3 people—a demon-possessed man, a woman passing blood, and a young girl. Jesus spent a lot of time traveling by boat and walking for these three. As man, He could not do a “thousand things at once.” But He loved and met the needs of those He could as He encountered them.
In a similar passage as the one in Mark, in Matthew, we read, Matthew 9:36-38 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Here we see Jesus doing another thing when the work was overwhelming. He called for prayer. What do we do when the work seems too much? Like Christ, we ask the Father for more laborers. We might add that Jesus was also training laborers—His disciples, who would continue His work in the future.
All of this can be applied to the Pro-Life ministry. Being Christ-like means we do not give up because the work is overwhelming. There are over 56 million abortions worldwide. There is a selfish mindset in this nation that wants what it wants regardless of the human lives destroyed to get it (James 4:2). There is a lot to be done. But we do not despair. We do what we can do as individuals. We pray. We lead others to help. It may not seem like much that we can do, but it is through the “planting and watering” of individuals that God makes growth happen (1 Corinthians 3:7).
Submitted by Daniel Stertz
Pastor of Bible Baptist Church, Hudson, WI
Treasurer for Baptists For Life of WI