When does a life begin? This question has been debated over and over for decades by religious leaders, media pundits, and politicians. For we who consider ourselves pro-life, the obvious answer to that question has been at conception.
I would like to suggest that even that answer comes up short.
Before you or I were conceived in our mother’s womb when the sperm met the egg, we were conceived in the Father’s heart. Before we existed in this world, we existed in His world – heaven.
Mankind was not simply an afterthought in God’s mind after He created the heavens and the earth.
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
(Jeremiah 1:5)
Stop and think about that for a moment (or a lifetime!). Before we were the tiniest of cells, He already knew us.
Life is sacred. It should come as no surprise that the issue of abortion has come up so little in this presidential election. I guess that shouldn’t shock us considering this culture of ours where death seems to be celebrated, especially in arts and entertainment. And I am not one who believes legislation will cure this culture of death.
Not only is life in the womb sacred, but all human life is sacred, in and out of the womb. It hurts my heart to hear of an unborn child being ripped apart in the womb. My heart should be equally hurt when innocent children are ripped apart in the bombing of a village in the Middle East. When I see every human being as someone created in the image of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, my whole perspective on death changes. Perhaps that is why the bible calls death an enemy.
The very breath God breathed into the nostrils of Adam is still given to us today, and if that is so, then what a joy it is to breathe it back to Him. God literally taught us how to breathe (Gen.2:7) by sharing His breath with us. Wow!
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
(Psalm 150:6)
The word “breath” here (neshamah) is the same word used in Gen. 2:7 when God breathed into the man’s nostrils the breath of life. He desires nothing less than our every breath. It originated in Him, I give it back to Him. When I meditate on this truth, it causes my thinking to shift to eternity. When I say eternity, I’m not talking about going to heaven someday. Heaven is a present reality because the One who fills heaven lives in me and I in Him. In fact, I’ve always been in Him, because I was in His mind before creation. Is your head spinning yet? Mine is and has been ever since I came upon this truth! I’ve always been in Christ, but didn’t realize it until His spirit came alive in me and I was born again.
May you never wonder again if He cares about you or if you even matter.
Before you were physical matter, you mattered to Him.
You still do.
We still do.
Just breathe.
Kevin