HOPE FOR TODAY: Choosing hope

Jill, a high school senior, took the emotional wrenching drive to the clinic. Nervously she sat, seeming unsure of herself. It felt like there was no other way to handle her unplanned pregnancy. There she was, all alone, in front of the abortion clinic. Where is the hope for her?

There are many who can identify with Jill. A college girl and boyfriend who are not ready for the challenges of parenthood. A pregnant single mom who cannot afford a fourth child. A couple who knows the baby they are carrying will be born with a disability.

Hope is that inward thing you need when you feel like you have no control over your circumstances. It is that desire which swells up and challenges you to believe that there is someone or something greater to live for then what you see around you.

If you are facing an abortion or know someone who is, there is a better way. Choose hope.

First, choose hope for your baby. It is not just a fetus. Any ultrasound or a simple hand on the belly will prove this. It is a baby. Let your mind dream of what your baby could become beyond the limits of money, health and other circumstances. Imagine. Dream great dreams for him or her.

Second, choose hope for yourself. Aborting your baby will smash your hope and etch a tragic memory you will never forget. Let this baby be a new beginning, like the start of a new year. Decide to accept this child and determine to be the very best father or mother your baby could ever have or, answer the wish of another couple. Maybe there is a loving family who would welcome your baby through adoption.

Third, choose hope through forgiveness. To abort or encourage someone to abort a living, breathing baby inside the womb is a sin in God’s sight. He calls it murder. The guilt from such an act weights heavy on a person. What can someone do to be relieved of the guilt and have hope restored?

Centuries ago, Jesus provided a way for total forgiveness of your sin. Through His life, He atoned for it. That means He covered your sin and took it away so He could have a relationship with you. The atoning work of Jesus is waiting for you. If you confess your sin to Him right now, He stands ready to forgive. God says, “For I will be merciful toward their iniquities (sins), and I will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12, ESV).

Imagine the hope that Jesus can bring by having your guilt finally lifted. The peace! The joy!

May Jesus be your hope for today.