Men After Abortionಮಾದರಿ

How God Sees Us

Before getting to “How God Sees Us,” it may be helpful to start with how we see ourselves.

During times of crisis, such as an abortion, we may fall victim to some form of distorted thinking: catastrophizing, filtering, personalization, or “shouldism.” The “stinkin’ thinkin’” that may result from a crisis, plus an unnecessary dose of Adam’s shame/guilt, can be very destabilizing.

In addition to questioning negative thoughts and refuting misconceptions as suggested on Day #1, here’s another tool to help fix distorted thinking.

Now, what I’m about to say may sound so cliché, but I’ll say it anyway. The Lord loves you.

Yeah, I said it. And it’s true. This is an example of God’s love from the Psalms:

The Lord is compassionate and gracious; slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. (Ps. 103:8-14)

For some, the mention of sin and iniquities can be disturbing. But a careful reading indicates that while God points to the reality of sin, he deals with us compassionately despite it, and he removed it as a hindrance in our relationship with him! We don’t need to hide or cover up. He forgives us and treats us mercifully despite our imperfections.

Since the Bible is the Word of God (i.e., it expresses his views, his ideas, and his requirements), it is a great relief that we don’t have to pretend we’re sinless or act as innocents. Job said, “Man is born to trouble as sparks fly upward.” And yet God is compassionate and gracious, abounding in love, and has a solution for my iniquity (and yours!) that allows him to be perfect in justice and righteousness and yet still deal mercifully with us. So, if God forgives us, why do we condemn ourselves?

God knows we are human and imperfect, but he loves us anyway. His love exceeds his holiness.

“We are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe, but more accepted and loved than we ever dared hope.” (Tim Keller)

Such are the depths of God’s love for us.

After an abortion, it can be easy to feel condemnation from others and ourselves. We could imagine, especially if we listen to the discourse in our society, that God wouldn’t want much to do with us after an abortion. The reality is that no matter what, God loves us, and there is nothing we can do to prevent His love for us.