“Actions speak louder than words.” This sentence could be the most frequently used cliché in our day, but clichés become clichés for a reason. Actions honestly do speak louder than words. There is no exception to this rule within the pro-life movement. There is an army of people willing to admit that they are pro-life when asked, but a small percentage of those people are eager to get their skin in the game. This is a real problem, and we need to understand the dangers of our collective inaction.
I am writing intentionally with highly generalized language, so if you happen to be someone who consistently invests their time and resources in the pro-life movement, please use this article to educate your family and friends about the implications of being idle.
Faith: A Driving Force in Being Pro-Life
I cannot speak about pro-life issues without incorporating my faith because my faith intertwines with every facet of my thought process.
The Body of the Movement
The Church of Jesus Christ is described as a “body” several times throughout the New Testament. This body is made up of many parts, and each piece has a particular function. The body only works efficiently and to its capacity when the parts of the body are in harmony with one another, and collectively taking action. These “functions” of the body are also called “giftings” in the Bible.
I believe that this analogy works perfectly in the pro-life sphere, and we should begin to think of the movement as a unified body. You do not have to be a Christian to believe that each person has specific giftings. People are naturally skilled and bent in different ways, and incredible things happen when people maximize their giftings.
A Common Trap
One of the most common traps that people fall into is that they choose to operate outside of their giftings so they may be accepted in their sphere of society. I want to be extremely clear when I make this statement: If you are not utilizing your God-given gifts to edify the pro-life body, you are dwindling our mission’s capacity and effectiveness.
You are called, empowered, and gifted in particular ways. Women and their children cannot afford for you to be idle in your giftings. You were made for this!
The pro-life movement is a body of strong people with so many different giftings, but it seems that many parts of the body are too insecure to function in their designed way. These insecurities lead to being idle, which destroys the harmony in the body and make it difficult to take the steps necessary for beneficial movement.
The Power of One
As soon as one person, or a group of people, refuse to invest their giftings into the pro-life movement, there is an automatic decrease in the reach of our message and resources. Your time, resources, and abilities matter more than you will ever know. This idea multiplies exponentially when a harmonized group of people become invested.
Whatever your gifting is, whether you are a world-class financial advisor, an innovative artist, or a great listener, our world cannot afford the absence of your gifts.
The greatest danger of idleness to the pro-life movement is that it restricts the body from its potential. Idleness decreases the number of women and children reached and impacted. We call ourselves a “movement,” but our movement is fragmented and sloppy without unity. Unity begins in the heart of individuals. So now, I am talking to you.
Choose to have the humility and confidence to invest your gifts into the pro-life movement. We are better together. We are stronger together. Deep down, you know where your giftings are, and we need them for the benefit of women and children everywhere. Stop being idle, you were born for this.
My Pro-Life Challenge to You
Give yourself the freedom to dream of ideas and trailblaze paths where you can utilize your gifts. Put up your phone or computer. Set everything aside 10 minutes and write down how your gifting can empower women and save children. Write down how lives can be directly impacted by the utilization of your special calling.
Whether your gift brings a woman into the doors of a pregnancy resource center or uplifts a woman in a time of emotional turmoil— your gift matters!
Dream big, and then act of those dreams. Your potential for impact is more significant than you’ve ever imagined.
