Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion

I used to be a drug and alcohol abuse counselor. In the addiction field we have what we call “stinking thinking”. The insidiousness of the disease of addiction will cause the person to begin thinking a certain way, a way by which they are bound for failure.

 It is not so different in post abortion healing. The person seeking forgiveness and healing often finds multiple reasons why God can forgive others but not themselves. Some of the  biggest are “She had one abortion, I had two, or three or four, or maybe 13”,  or, “ she was forced to abort, I chose of my own free will”; the list can go on and on.

 This thinking gives  the excuse to continue to suffer and self punish instead of accepting the forgiveness and mercy of God. Believing that they deserve to suffer, it is actually an act of pride. A refusal of the mercy of God. What is wrong with this “stinking thinking” is that the focus is placed on "self" instead of on Jesus Christ, the "other" who came to earth to set us free.

What right do we have to tell God He died for everyone but us, or that His offering was not enough for our sin?

 How many abortions are too many? Well, in human terms one. It is always wrong to take the life of an unborn child and is always a grievious sin, but in the eyes of God whether there has been one or one hundred, His forgiveness is waiting because of who He is and what he has done, not because of who we are.

 Of course, this does not mean we can continue to sin or abort children and be presumptuous knowing God will forgive us. I know in some abortion clinics women are told, "God understands, don;t you think He can forgive you?" However, we are called to “firm purpose of amendment” and to “sin no more”.

If we are truly sorry, His forgiveness is waiting for us not because of us or anything we do but because there is no limit to Mercy Himself.

(Keaton)