A whopping 25% of those who made a New Year’s Resolution have already abandoned it. If you are one of those people (or if you still need one) I hereby invite you to set for yourself a Pro-Life New Year’s Resolution.
Setting a vague goal like wanting to pray for the unborn more often is not too helpful. Thinking you will pray kneeling on broken glass every day is likely unobtainable.
So an important aspect of a New Year’s Resolution, as with any goal, is to ensure it is attainable.
But it also needs to stretch you or challenge you a bit. Otherwise, you will have achieved nothing.
See if you can agree to the challenge of taking up a Pro-Life New Year’s Resolution to begin immediately.
Let me suggest a simple one to consider. At the end, please leave a comment to state if you accept the challenge.
OFFER SACRIFICE
Jesus said some demons are not driven out, except by prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21).
Many faith-filled folks forget to fast.
So many of these Christian Resolutions suggest praying, and perhaps that was what you expected me to suggest. But I am not doing that for one simple reason.
Prayer is so vital, it should be a given.
Let’s step it up a notch!
A SMALL ONE WILL DO
Offering a small penance of some kind on a daily basis will go a long way. I have suggested ideas in the past. Ideas might be to take a cold shower, to skip dessert, to go without cream in your coffee, or to not wear gloves outside in the cold.
The idea is to find something that inconveniences you that you can offer to God. The small act can be your gift to the Lord to show Him how serious you are about wanting abortion to end.
CONSIDER MAKING ACTS OF REPARATION
You can also make acts of reparation for the sins of abortion, pornography, contraception, etc. Maybe you could not turn on the heat for a few minutes. Perhaps you could fast from eating meat for a certain meal each day. Or, you could walk with a pebble in your show. The ideas are endless.
The key in offering such a sacrifice is to do it out of love for God and for those caught in the sin. God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).
A DAILY SACRIFICE LIKELY WORKS BEST
The resolution should be something you can offer up daily.
If you give up eating broccoli, but you don’t usually eat broccoli except once a month, then that’s not much to give. If you drink coffee every day, then perhaps that would be a good sacrifice. I am sure you get the idea.
Plus, having something to offer each day to the Lord gives you more opportunity to grow in virtue. By denying yourself the warmth of hot water in your shower, you grow in self-control. When you purposely drive the speed limit, leaving your lead foot at home in love for Jesus, you grow in patience. It is a win-win.
CHANGE IT UP MONTHLY
Congratulations! You gave up soda in January and stuck with it. Come June you’re still laying off the Pepsi. It is not much of a sacrifice anymore. Such a scenario could happen for you.
As a result, let me suggest also that you change it up each month. You could make each month its own sacrifice.
You would also have the option of replacing the sacrificial act each month, or adding them together.
IN CLOSING
I believe deeply that God will hear such a sacrificial prayer from you.
Perhaps He is waiting for all of us to make such a stand. He has heard our prayers, and they are effective, but maybe He is testing us. How badly do we want babies to stop being ripped to pieces?
Are we willing to give up salt and pepper, if it means another baby gets to have his birthday?
What if a teenage mom would choose life for her twins, if only you prayed for her every time you took the stairs to your fifth-story office?
You could be the difference.
YOUR TURN
So, are you ready to make a Pro-Life New Year’s Resolution?
Please leave a comment below to let me know if you’re with me.
