On the 24th January 2020, the President of the United States of America delivered a speech at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., that shone a light on the value of women like no other President has done before. The theme of that march was Life Empowers. President Trump heavily referenced the Bible and delivered and placed on women and the unborn, the value of God’s creation through the eyes of the Creator.
Whether you’re a fan of President Trump or not is irrelevant, but what I do know is that there once was a man named Saul, who called himself the worst of sinners (1 Timothy chapter 1 verses 15-16). With a visit from Jesus, Saul received new life and was totally transformed into a new creation, with a new name—Paul. Whatever you think of Trump and his history is your business, he’s not perfect—obviously none of us are, and thankfully God is known for daily transforming old ways into new ways, creating a new creation.
Celebrate, protect and cherish
The words that touched me most from President Trump’s speech, besides the well-chosen verses from Scripture, were those of encouragement to the movement of people who had gathered to celebrate a cause: “to build a society where life is celebrated, protected, and cherished” (Trump. 2020).
How do we celebrate, protect and cherish life? We start seeing each other as God’s marvellous creations. We get around the women who carry unborn babies in their wombs and we celebrate their lives; love on them, throw baby showers, encourage them, give practical help and support—empowering them for life.
Christ came to give us life and life in all its fullness (John chapter 10 verse 10). He was not partial in who that fullness of life was for but made the gift of life available to anyone who would partake of it. We are made in God’s image, we were known by God before we were born, we were created by the Maker of the Universe—our lives have a plan and a purpose designed by the Creator Himself. God empowers us for life.
So therefore, no one should be looked down upon if God holds each of us in His heart so very carefully and tenderly, especially not the unborn.
We’re worth it
Through His eyes, God thought us worth heaven coming down to earth. God thought us worth a sacrifice of love like no other. God thought us worth atmospheres shaking, earth quaking, the elements breaking, the dead awaking. And not for anything we have done, but simply for the fact that we are made by Him and we are made in His image (Genesis chapter 1 verse 27). We were in His heart from the beginning. We are the handiwork, the careful moulding, crafting and shaping of the Great Potter Himself—we are the apple of His eye.
When God finished creating he ‘saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good’ (Genesis chapter 1 verse 31). God was very pleased with what He had made! Who knows the feeling of completing something that is very good? Times that by a gazillion and you’ll get an idea of how pleased God is to create us. When we see God’s creation as good, we start to see the immense value the Father has for us.
The gift of life
When you realise the preciousness of each carefully created being, the thought of discarding any one of us, is ludicrous. In fact, it is the weakest of us that need the greatest care; the unborn, the elderly, the sick, the fatherless, the widow.
“…those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians chapter 12 verses 22-26)
When God sent his son, Jesus, to bear the weight and pay the price for our sins, it was out of the greatest love—love that is beyond comparison, love that cost everything. And through this love, lives were saved. Millions of them. His life gave life. For the Bible tells us that everyone who believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life (John chapter 3 verse 16).
It was the only way to save His precious creation. So, if Jesus gave his life to give us life, even if we were the only one, then we must believe that He loves us beyond measure and embrace the life he has gifted to us.
God’s love saved our lives. Let us then use the life that God has given us, to love and empower others to enjoy the life we have in Christ—life in all its fullness.