Identity

It was June. Not even one month after graduating as a Certified Nursing Assistant, and I was practically on my tippy toes, just waiting and hoping to help others with any kind of medical need they might have. I would even go so far as to pray that if there had to be an accident in the day that I would be the first to see it on my drive home. I longed to put my first aid training to use, as we didn’t have a plethora of emergency situations at the assisted living facility I worked at.

That summer I temporarily moved to Colorado. During my first week of school, we had a lecture on campus safety and were asked if anyone had medical training, and I was so thrilled to raise my hand into the air! Yes! Yes! Yes! I am happy to help with absolutely anything medical! I practically had to bite my lip to keep from saying it aloud.

I kept my eyes open, looking for any opportunities to serve others in this capacity, but at first, nothing, as far as I was aware, had come up. I sat down outside the 300 dorms and opened up the assigned book for that week. As I flipped to the page where I had left off, I glanced up at my water bottle; it had a medical symbol on it with my name below. It was like there were ants in my pants or something. No one had punctured an artery, taken a tumble on the sidewalk, or fallen unconscious into the campus lake, which was good. But at the same time, what’s a passionate CNA girl to do?!

At last, a month later something had { finally } come up. All 105 or so of us students were having an evening of fellowship at a local park. Some were playing volleyball or ultimate frisbee, while others were just enjoying talking with one another. Being the stellarly athletic type that I am, I avoided the competitive games and sat down in the grass, picking up a conversation with several ladies who I hoped to get to know better. Suddenly one of the girls said, “Cassidy! Someone’s down over there! Can you go help?” My back had been turned to the frisbee game in which a guy had landed wrong on his ankle.

Quickly, I jumped up, feeling elated and trying to recall what I had learned about sprained joints. Only a few feet away from the scene, I looked over to see a staff member also running in that direction. She said to me, in a gracious tone of voice: “Why don’t you go back and sit down?”

What????

It felt like one of those slow-motion moments. “Oh ok.” I said, feeling my heart drop. With disappointment, I turned around and went back to the same spot where I had previously been seated.

That evening was a good one for my soul; it was a reminder that truly serving others is so not about me. If I am not needed, then it may be best to stay out of the way. There had been an RN involved on the scene of the sprained ankle, and plenty of other individuals nearby who could help.

A few weeks later while I did my chore in the Lakehouse, I spotted a friend. I started a conversation with the lady coordinating volunteers for the upcoming 5K and mentioned that if they happened to need any medical help, I would be thrilled to provide any care I was able to. I also passed along the name of a classmate who was an LPN, who I was certain would be just as excited about this opportunity as I was; maybe we could work together!

Eventually it was 3:30pm.

Internet hours…. I refreshed my email several times, thinking about how amazing it would be to look over the volunteer assignments. I pictured pulling my hair back and placing my pink stethoscope over my shoulders. I could bring my first aid kit, pulse oximeter, and purple sphygmometer; each of which were sitting sadly on the top shelf in my dorm room, only used on occasion or when I pestered someone about taking their vital signs. I didn’t want to just ask others if I could practice taking their blood pressure anymore, I wanted to be there answering the call when someone pulled a muscle, broke a leg, or fainted of heat exhaustion.

A few days later, a subject line in my email rekindled all the excitement. “Volunteer Assignments For 5K.” I scrolled through the list, urgently looking for the column of “Nurse/First Aid.” I glanced at my phone with utter thrill; I was assigned to be the 5K first aid provider!!! And my LPN friend was going to be working with me; it seemed like the most exciting day ever! I jumped out of my chair and told my excitement to a nearby friend. The 14th of July could not arrive fast enough!

As I prepared for the day, I had to restrain myself from shrieking for joy; I put my student ID on the same way I had worn my medical ID during clinicals. Even if no one would get hurt that morning, just the idea of being available to meet the needs of others had me about jumping up and down. I threw all my medical supplies into my backpack and headed out the door.

When I got there, the volunteer coordinator needed to speak with me. It turned out that one of the other people involved in coordinating the 5K had already arranged for three other people to provide medical care for the day. A nurse's station had been arranged with an RN, EMT, and first responder.

Wondering how it could be that another medical opportunity had fallen through, I walked over to my LPN friend to let her know that we would not be needed at the nurses station that morning. She told me she was relieved; she had been willing to help if there was a great need, but hoped to instead participate in the 5K. I understood her relief since she was such a hard working nurse, but I did not share in her relief… I still felt restless to help others.

A few days later, I lost my water bottle with the medical sign on it. It was like everything I used to identify myself as a medical professional was nonexistent.

Jesus was, in a way, speaking to me. I was finding the whole of my identity in medical care.

The position of my soul is not in nursing, CNA-ing, blood drawing, first-aid administering, CPR-giving Cassidy. My position is in Christ, and I was getting a crash course in it. I had been living in the clouds, with “Oh for the day when I’m finally a nurse” type thoughts dominating my heart and mind. I had no grid for any other kind of future than one of charting, injecting, observing, and compassionately caring nursing.

I think it’s a common phenomenon of girls of the 21st century to misplace their identity. We somehow come to a conclusion that we have to be identified with something, be that good grades, a thriving career, a certain interest well pursued, a boyfriend nearby, or something else, whatever it may be.

Despite what our culture daily attempts to instill in us, our identity is not in our personality, our accomplishments, our abilities, or our passions; our identity is in Christ alone. (May He ever be out all-consuming passion!)

Here I am, over a year later, looking back with a smile. I now work in the emergency department and get to do many of the things I was dreaming of. The other day I administered over 91 compressions to one patient. My weekly life includes obtaining and charting vital signs, ambulating patients, assisting in high acuity traumas, taking EKGs, drawing blood, and sometimes praying with patients at their lowest point. There are moments I about squeal for joy! But there are also moments I long to go home.

Getting to help people in emergent and traumatic moments of their lives often thrills my soul, but it does not satisfy me completely.

“As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God; when shall I come and appear before God?” (Ps. 42:1-2).

I wasn’t created for myself. I was not made to follow my heart and dreams. (Prov. 4:23).

I was put into existence for the glory, honor, and praise of Jesus Christ. (Is. 43:1-7, Eph. 3:20-21).

That does not mean the vision He has planted in my heart--as I offer it up to Him in full surrender--has no eternal value, but it is not my purpose for existing on this earth.

God did not create me merely to chase whims, hopes, and wishes.

I was made to know the very Source of life Himself.

The essence of who I am, even in this fallen world, cries out His praise. "All my bones shall say, 'O Lord, who is like you, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him" (Ps. 35:10a). My fulfillment cannot be found in a job, human being, life setting, or particular circumstances. I need something more than things and people; at the core of who I am, I long for the Author of Life.

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints, for those who fear Him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing...The Lord redeems the life of His servants; none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned" (Ps. 34:8-10,22).

Knowing the Most High is not a hobby or merely one segment of life. It is an all-consuming pursuit. As A.W. Tozer has said: "Too many persons try to make Jesus Christ a convenience. They reduce Him simply to a big friend who will help us when we are in trouble. This is not Biblical Christianity! Jesus Christ is Lord, and when an individual comes in repentance and faith, the truth flashes in. For the first time he finds himself saying, 'I will do the will of the Lord, even if I die for it." [1]

Putting Jesus first and claiming Him as my identity means death to self and living for Christ. "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:1-3).

Living in Pursuit of a Heavenly Agenda

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain...Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ" (Phil. 1:21a, 27a).

People who are without Jesus live in light of what is temporary; it's all they know to give themselves for. Flashing headlines like "Live your best life now" sum up the mainstream attitude. As citizens of heaven in a broken earth, may we display the loveliness of an existence surrendered unto the Alpha and Omega. Happily stepping into the mud and mess to share the all-important secret with all who will hear: Jesus is Lord.

Oswald Chambers has shared an important piece of advice on God's intent for His children:

"His purpose is not the development of  a person--His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain, but what He pours through us that really counts. God's purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us--and we cannot measure that at all [...] 'He who believed in me...out of his heart will flow rivers of Living Water'--and hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed. Now is the time for us to break "the flask" of our lives, to stop seeking our own satisfaction, and to pour out our lives before Him. Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him?" [2]

Ultimately, my identity as a Christ follower is not about me. It's about the Savior who is worthy of my utmost and entire givenness.

Know that the unique way He has made you is for a purpose, yet the longer my eyes remain upon self, the less I can be used. If I spend my days worried if my gifts will be spent well, I am not seeing myself in perspective. I am not the story and I am not the main character. He has made me a part of His plan and Kingdom, but not so my name would be known, but so He will receive more glory, honor, and praise.

He is the One this is all about.

I was made uniquely for His glory because He is worthy of praise in a billion different ways.

Do I still love the emergency department and sometimes achingly long to give CPR? Yes. Yet, I must leave my desires in the hands of the One who created my heart and knows my every dream so intimately.

God is my Creator and He knows my purpose far, far better than I ever will. This means the best way I may accomplish the intentions He has for me is by obeying and yielding to Him. 

--
1. Tozer, A.W., and Gerald B. Smith. Mornings With Tozer . Moody Publishers, 2008, p. March 24
2. Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest. Oswald Chambers Publications Association, Ltd., 1992, p. September 2

Enabled, Empowered and Equipped

The other day, I was assigned as the compressor for an incoming patient in the emergency department. I walked into the trauma room and was instructed to apply gloves and stand on a stool right next to the hospital bed. As the patient was brought in by EMS, I began CPR. With one leg on the hospital bed, I furthered my reach as the patient was transferred from the stretcher to the hospital bed. I started counting each push into the patient's chest.

one. two. three. four. five. six. seven.

I did my absolute best to give quality compressions. The fast-pace emergency started to play out slower in my mind; I thought about the time between each compression, the depth I pushed into the patient's chest, the respiratory therapist to my right. Would this patient come out alive?

If my patient had refused care and told us, "Nope, I'm not experiencing cardiac arrest; keep your hands off me," then we would have been unable to rescue the patient. (Obviously if the patient was conscious and talking then we would not be doing compressions anyway).

In a similar way, every human being to ever walk the earth has a terminal disease: sin (Romans 3:23). If we refuse to come to grips with the truth that our sin separates us from God and that we cannot save ourselves, then we will die in our sin and spend all eternity separated from our worthy God. The Great Physician longs to rescue the broken, fallen, and sinful.

The notably religious people of Jesus' time were the Pharisees; they followed extensive ritualistic laws, taught in synagogues, and were admired by many. They looked spiritual, but their hearts were full of pride.

Jesus said to them: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matthew 23:27-28).

"Those who are well have no need of a Physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17b).

Those who are self-righteous aren't needy for God (truly they are, but they refuse to admit it); Jesus did not come for those who believe that they have it all together, but for broken sinners who acknowledge their need for a Mighty Savior to lift them from the miry clay. My redemption could never be accomplished through human whims and performance. If I don't acknowledge my need for Him, I resemble the Pharisees. Do you know how Jesus felt about the Pharisees' hearts? He was "...grieved over the hardness of their heart" (Mark 3:5). Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth has said,

"If I lose my my neediness, I lose my usefulness."

It's in our desperation for our Savior that we may be used in the way He intended. He is the only One who can give us new life and cause us to walk in His fullness. "God isn't looking for sponsors; He's looking for servants. He isn't looking for people who have sufficiency" (Leonard Ravenhill).

My only wholeness is in Jesus.

"And ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2:10).

He is Lord, and I am not. I need Him to lead, teach, help and sustain me. Despite what this world loudly proclaims, no, I am not enough in and of myself. If all there is is me and that has to be sufficient for this entire lifetime, my am I in trouble.

In my own pockets, I do not find the strength, hope, grace, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, love, or self-control I need to triumph in the journey ahead. I am so empty of all good and full of what is wrong apart from Christ.

But in Jesus, because He laid His perfect life down for me, I have what I need.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge [epiginosko] of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:3-4).

As we abide in Christ, by His transforming grace, we are changed more and more into His likeness.

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers" (Romans 8:26-29).

My patient had to come into the hospital acknowledging their need for resuscitation. (In regard to medical situations, passing out is a definite acknowledgment of needing help). Even so, we fall at the feet of Jesus, desperately lacking, but willing to give our everything up in full surrender to the only One who can revive us out of our spiritual disease and deadness. We must come to Him with humbled hearts; we do not have it in the bag. We are not everything we're meant to be. Oh how we need our Savior to work in us; as believers, it's only by abiding in Him that we can bring forth any fruit that will glorify Him.

This abiding is restful, enabling, and empowering. By running to Him for strength, we are equipped to "...live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10).

Lean. Depend. Abide. Be desperate for Jesus. He will empower us as we look to Him for grace to continue onward and inward.

The well of Living Water never runs dry; He cares about our needs even more than we do, and provides for us. Jehovah Jireh dwells in us and goes before us; He is gladly willing to meet the needs of His desperate people, if we will acknowledge our need for Him.

Dead Dreams but a Living Jesus

I made my way down the dorm building stairs; it was a weekday evening and Bible survey class was on the agenda for the evening. With my Bible and notebook in hand, I walked past the campus lake’s delightful deep blue haze, expectant to learn a lot and take many notes.

I took a seat next to a friend as our teacher expounded on the passage of the evening. I was around three weeks from completing the on-campus portion of the missions program and was mentally planning all I hoped to accomplish when I arrived home. Work, family life, and a million to-dos seemed to spin around in my mind; I knew much was ahead.

As the class wrapped up, I was approached by one of the school’s staff members. It was a conversation that would echo in my mind for months after I left.

“Knowing all this [ministry] stands for, [I need to tell you something].”

When the words had been spoken and our conversation wrapped up, I quickly approached the chapel door, with my heart racing in my chest. I felt like a thin piece of paper floating down to the ground; I deeply hoped no one would see or talk to me for the rest of the evening.

It was clear. I had not met the standard of the school and was not considered to be a very godly woman; my word choices in an attempt to encourage a staff member had not been ok. It was communicated to me that I was seen as a flatterer and not one who uplifts others, despite the fact that it had been my hope to point to the work Jesus had done in her life.

Later in the evening, I rushed into the dorm bathroom and sobbed. I felt like there was nothing left; strength seemed to flee and my heart felt as though it had been broken in a million pieces.

I hadn’t shared the hope with a single soul on the campus, but secretly, I wondered if one day I might work for this ministry. Maybe I would get to walk with other women through the valleys of their life and be able to point them to Jesus and how He would triumph gloriously in their existence. Maybe I would contribute to their renowned Christian women’s magazine. Maybe I would move nearby and go to college in the area, thousands of miles from my home in Michigan. So many hopes and dream surrounded the little missions school.

Suddenly those dreams seemed far away and impossible. The hopes were dashed.

An ocean of tears seemed to flow as I thought through the heartrending evening. I was not their desired alum. I wasn’t someone they would want influencing other women. I wasn’t fitting the mold.

“Cassidy.” The tap on the shoulder came. It was a few weeks later, and the day had come to return home. It was 3am and I was down to my last half hour on the campus. Life was about to change. I tried not to think back on what had happened just a few weeks previously so I could end my last bit of time on campus without going “there.” It wasn’t my roomates or friends fault that I had messed up, so I reasoned that I needed to hold it in. Don’t burst out in tears. Don’t whine about how things ended so roughly. Just smile.

I got in the car and took a final glance at the campus. I was sad to be ending this season of life and to probably not see many of my classmates again, while simultaneously feeling that I maybe shouldn’t have come in the first place.

I eventually arrived home, got back to work, and the flow of regular life began once again.

Yet my heart seemed affected. I couldn’t just fly away from the things that had happened; like a broken record, my mind replayed the mistakes I made, what I should have done, and how everything could be so different if I had not said this, and done that.

Some deep dreams had died, but even then Jesus was at work.

Amidst personal failure, Jesus had not failed for one moment. He was ready and willing to take even one such as me--one who did not reach the bar--and heal me and give me new vision and hopes for the future. He reminded my soul of ways He had been burdening me for the vulnerable. He gave me new hope for ministering to the women around me. He stirred the desire to keep writing for my own blog, even if my feeble words would never make it around the world. It could reach one hurting soul who follows me on Facebook who might never even hear of the magazine publication I previously dreamed of contributing to.

Life was not over.

It seems like an obvious statement, but at that time in my life it was a new revelation. It was possible for deep hopes, the secret ones you only tell Jesus about, to die but then be used in the way He intended.

A grain of wheat must die and fall to the ground if it will bring forth its crop. I was seeing that truth play out in my personal life. When I freshly surrendered and laid my dreams down at the foot of His Cross, they could finally be used.

For the Broken Soul

To any friend who has stumbled upon this post amid personal pain and hurt, may I remind you that our God is gracious and He loves to meet us where we are at. His love has never hinged on what you can offer Him (Eph. 2:8, Rom. 3:23), so when we feel empty and don’t think we bring anything of value to the table, it’s great to remember that it’s all about Jesus and His sufficiency (Col. 1:18). It isn’t about all the times I have failed, all the ways I don’t measure up, or all the things I cannot seem to do well. It’s about Him. We know that He so graciously works even the worst of the worst together for good for those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).

If you are in Christ, then absolutely nothing in all creation can separate you from His love (Rom. 8:35-39)! Your God loves you and desires you; He does not quit pursuing our souls when we mess up. He provides grace for us in the exact measure we need it. When we feel like nothing, Jesus remains everything. He lovingly holds us in the hollow of His hands, and attentively watches over us.

If your dreams have died at a measure or even entirely, may I remind you, sweet friend, that your God has not! When our future is confusing and we don’t know what’s next, He always does. Place your soul’s confidence in the One who has taken your place and stood in the gap for your soul. He values you so much that He shed His very life’s blood to set you free and make you His own.

“By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16a).

The utmost display of love was made to us; ultimately to place every eye upon Jesus, who is worthy of all the glory. Jesus pursues His bride and calls us ever deeper in knowing Him, even though we are imperfect and unworthy; yet He loves us entirely and draws us closer to Himself.

In this broken world, sadness and mistakes are bound to happen; but our hope does not die then. Hope is not a mere feeling or experience, but a Person named Jesus. Keep your eyes on your capital h Hope, who never fails, never slumbers, and always cares for you.

When our hearts feel dead for the weight of failure and pain, what freedom there is in running to the Saviour who has never failed us and ever lives and intercedes for us (He. 7:23-28).

As Corrie ten Boom has said, “If you look at the world, you'll be distressed. If you look within, you'll be depressed. If you look at God you'll be at rest.”

Lift up your heart to the One who knows your every weakness and simultaneously loves you more than you could ever comprehend. Our past, our brokenness, and our lack do not intimidate our God. He delights to redeem from the dust; no matter how much you may feel that you fall short, you are not beyond the reaches of His perfect grace.

Run to Him with expectancy that He longs for you to come away with Him.

In Isaiah, there is a beautiful passage that gives us a glimpse into the work of redemption God was working in Israel, as He shared with them through the prophet Isaiah:

“Remember these things, O Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant; I formed you; you are my servant; O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me. I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you. Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it; shout, O depths of the earth; break forth into singing, O mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, and will be glorified in Israel” (Is. 44:21-23).

In the verses leading up to this passage, the Lord exposes the folly of idolatry. Would they have dead, meaningless idols or the Living God?

“Do not tremble; do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago? You are my witnesses--is there any other God? No! There is no other Rock--not one!" (Is. 44:8).

Even so we must offer up our dreams, plans, and desires to the God who knows all things. Even the desire for good things can become an idol if we do not relinquish our grip in surrender to our Sovereign King who knows all things and will never fail to lead us.

As Lilias Trotter has so eloquently put it:

"The fair, new petals must fall and for no visible reason; no one seems enriched by the stripping. And the first step into the realm of giving is a like surrender. Not man-ward but God-ward; an utter yielding of our best. So long as our idea of surrender is limited to the renouncing of unlawful things, we have never grasped its true meaning. That is not worthy of the name, for no polluted thing can be offered.”

As we place our everything at His feet, with the prayer of the Psalmist on our lips: “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!” (Ps. 115:1), our hearts find meaning and healing.

HE is the reason we exist. Because He is worthy, and because He loves us. When our lives are all about Him and are utterly dependent upon His grace, life changes. No longer is it a constant cycle of meaningless and suffering, but of knowing Jesus and experiencing His sufficiency, amidst our great lack. We have been pursued and redeemed by the one who lacks absolutely nothing!

Place your soul’s confidence in the One for whom nothing is too hard. He will triumph wondrously in your life, even amid brokenness, as you keep Him first. It may not appear that way to every on-looker, but what matters is having our focus on Him.

When our dreams seem dead, our God is alive. He will never fail, and He will always be glorified; therefore I have confidence that the most heartrending things I may ever face can and will be used to magnify Him more fully. Because of His grace, I am free in Christ. He is my Healer and He is my Provider; never will I lack what is needful.

May our hearts trust Him in the deepest place, no matter what tomorrow may bring.

Can Birth Control Cause Death?

Could a medication you’re on be causing the death of a loved one?

As Christians of the 21st Century, we seek to be fathers to the fatherless and voices to the voiceless, as Jesus has called us to be. Many of us have spent time volunteering at crisis pregnancy centers, or have donated money or resources to pro-life organizations, or have helped individuals who were abortion minded. And yet there is another side to this discussion of life and death decisions that is considered too private to be discussed. Did you know that this rather unspoken area is one 90% of Christians unite on [1], agreeing to it and even promoting it?

This rather shushed area, is called birth control.

In our culture, it’s a given that when two people are married, they better be on birth control until they feel ready to have kids. As a matter of fact, a majority of Christian premarital counseling courses endorse and even encourage its use; not to mention doctors and other healthcare professionals. For such reasons, couples feel secure using hormonal or mechanical* birth control regularly.

To all the people my age (17 and younger), have you ever thought that the subject of birth control relates to you?

You may not be currently using birth control, but I can almost guarantee that it will be recommended for your use or your spouse’s use in the future. And it very well could cause the death of those you are closest to.

When, for example, a woman takes hormonal birth control, she is either receiving a dosage of estrogen and progesterone or just progesterone. The estrogen/progesterone pill sends a message to the woman’s brain that she is pregnant, which leads the body to stop the release of more eggs from the ovaries. But birth control is not very effective in this; often eggs are still released into the fallopian tubes and the egg gets fertilized and becomes an embryo - a living human being. The developers of the pill were well aware of this fact; and that’s why they added in the progesterone. The progesterone has a different job; it hardens the lining of the uterus. After 7-14 days in the fallopian tubes, the embryo descends into the uterus, and if this baby’s momma has been on the pill, it will be nearly impossible for it to implant; thus it will most likely die.

The loss of life is sad enough, but there is another side to the pill; in 2005 the UN’s International Agency on Research on Cancer recorded in their report “Monograph 91” that estrogen-progesterone combination drugs was a group 1 carcinogen for breast, cervical, and liver cancer [2]. Women who use mechanical or hormonal birth control are actually placing themselves at far greater risk for cancer, blood clots, and heart attacks, according to Dr. Angela Lanfranchi, a breast surgeon and clinical assistant professor of surgery at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School [3].

In January, the anniversary of Roe v. Wade reminded us again of the horrifying statistics that over 58,000,000 lives have been taken by abortion. That’s more lives than the total population of Myanmar! How many lives, would you estimate, have been taken through birth control? How many little lives, just at the very beginning, were starved to death since they were unable to implant into the uterus and get food from mommy? This should break our hearts, as it breaks our Jesus’s heart, and it should drive us to action as well.

What are you doing today to be a voice for those little, little ones that even a majority of pro-life organizations have overlooked? Would you be willing to stand in the gap for them?

Imagine, a few years down the road, that you have a little girl. She has your eyes, and adores life. She’s the apple of your eye, and you love to get down to her level and play together. But one day, you get a call; your little Susie has somehow begun to starve to death. Your friend on the phone tells you that there’s no way she’ll make it longer than a few days if she doesn’t get some food in her quickly.

What would you do?

If I was in this situation, I would do absolutely everything I could to get to my little girl and bring her some food before it was too late; and I would call the people I considered my friends and ask them “Will you help my little Susie? She’s starving to death!”

Each of these precious lives that are ended by birth control are God’s “Susie’s.” He loves each of them and has called us to stand in the gap for them [4]. This is not optional, it is a commission from our King. We are called to be “a father to the fatherless.”

A famous speaker once said, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” If we do not stand to protect these lives, who will?

What are some practical ways we can protect these little ones?

- Personally choose not to use birth control

In the future, expect to be asked by your health professional about birth control. It’s not only recommended for preventing pregnancy; it is also suggested for controlling acne, regulating cycles, or to reduce cramping. Each of these side effects can often be treated naturally or with other medications.

- Graciously speak up on their behalf

Would you be willing to graciously speak up if you heard someone talking about birth control? Each of us have two things: a voice and influence in others lives. If we use these things to protect these vulnerable little ones, they can have a chance at life that they might not have had otherwise.

One fast and effective way to speak up on their behalf is to share blog posts or videos on social media; it starts conversations and gives helpful and important information. Check out a few of these links:

• The Birth Control Pill: What Every Christian Girl Needs to Know By Kristen Clark
• The Not-So-Golden Anniversary of the Pill By Mary Kassian
• Surgeon: Birth Control Pill a ‘Molotov Cocktail’ for Breast Cancer
• PODCAST: Embracing God’s Gift of Children By Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
• VIDEO: Birth Control Pills Cause Embryonic Abortions
• VIDEO: How The Pill Kills {on the health risks of birth control}

- Consider embryo adoption in the future

Another way you can be an advocate for these little ones is to consider embryo adoption in the future. After couples have an in vitro fertilization treatment, there are often embryos left over that are either thrown out, donated to science, or put away in bio freezers. These little embryos who do not have a chance at life until they are adopted.

“When a couple goes through IVF, the doctors create as many embryos as possible because it costs a lot, physically and financially, to retrieve the eggs and fertilize the embryos. One to three embryos are transferred into the woman’s uterus, and the rest are frozen… Embryos are considered property under federal law.” (Embryo Adoption Awareness Center)

We can do something about all of these precious little ones who are frozen in time in bio freezers all over the US; let’s be advocates for these valuable lives!

To find out more about embryo adoption, check out these links:

• An embryo adoption story:

• http://www.adeyesalem.com/2011/12/keller-family-choosing-to-give-life/  

• Embryo adoption agencies:

• http://www.miracleswaiting.org/
• http://www.embryoadoption.org/
• https://www.nightlight.org/snowflakes-embryo-adoption-donation/embryo-adoption/

These little ones can be saved if each one of us personally chooses to stand up and be an advocate for these lives!

--

* Due to the fact that this article was first presented as a speech with a time limit, mechanical birth control was not sufficiently addressed in this post. But from the research I have done, I most definitely believe that IUDs and other forms of mechanical birth control can and do cause embryonic abortions. As Colorado Right to Life has said: “By redefining an established term, the abortion and pharmaceutical industries could mislead women by selling them ‘contraceptives’ that in fact do not only prevent ‘conception’ but were also designed to kill the tiniest children by preventing implantation so they cannot continue to grow in their mother's wombs. Such ‘contraceptives’ are not contraceptive, but are mechanical (IUD) or chemical (pills) abortifacient ‘birth control.’" [Source]

1. Poll: http://www.gallup.com/poll/154799/americans-including-catholics-say-birth-control-morally.aspx

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1f3qTt1YDk [see also: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/surgeon-birth-control-pill-a-molotov-cocktail-for-breast-cancer]

3. Ibid
4. A similar illustration was first presented by Pastor Eric Ludy in his short film "Depraved Indifference."  

Feminism and the Gospel: Continuing the Conversation

I definitely do not consider myself an expert on feminism in the least, and I do not wish to be. And I am certain that my other article - Feminism: Friend or Foe -  reflected that. Many of my examples and stories came from personal observations and conversations with my feminist friends. The example of Kyle was intended to be a depiction of many different facets of feminism. There are most definitely feminists that do believe that women are more evolved than men (like this example: http://people.com/movies/ryan-gosling-says-women-are-better-than-men-wants-female-president/) [of course, I believe that God is the creator, and therefore do not agree with evolution at all, but this is an important point to many feminists, so I included it]. And according to the modern view of feminism, holding doors for anyone breaks the sense of equality they seek to develop (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/11063234/Why-I-no-longer-hold-doors-open-for-women.html). So technically, if you think it’s a good idea for men to hold doors open for women (I definitely think it’s a good idea!) then you cannot also fully agree with feminism - the idea that seeks equality in absolutely everything, even in door holding (which should apparently, according to the feministic viewpoint, would always and only be for yourself).

I honestly didn’t know that it’s full equality that feminists seek until I received a message from a reader. And I don’t believe that Christian men (or women for that matter) seeking to follow Jesus can be feminists because, if a man is living out the pattern of masculinity that God has set for him (to be the protector and leader [see Gen. 3:16 - notice that God says “And he {Adam} shall rule over you {Eve}”, and see Eph. 5:24-25] ; and the first one to lay their life down [check out: Eph. 5:25-29]), then it’s not equality - someone else is being put before yourself.

If the church ultimately accepted the notion of feminism, it would be like throwing a grenade at ourselves - it would be like saying “Hey Enemy! Come over here and tell us what you think gender should look like!” Ultimately, after a fair bit of research this weekend, I have come to understand feminism as the view “I’ll treat you as well as you treat me!” (That is equality). Would you say that Jesus was a promoter of equality? Jesus was the servant of all - maybe one way to put it could be “the ultimate door holder” - He, more than anyone else, deserved special treatment. If I may steal a quote from an anonymous author: “Wouldst thou be a chief? Then lowly serve. Wouldst thou go up? Then go down. But go as low as you will and the Highest [Jesus] has been lower still” (emphasis added). We, as believers, are meant to be Jesus to those around us (Him living in us, and emptying us more and more of ourselves, and filling us more and more with Himself).

He didn’t get treated with equality. And I have no doubt in my mind that if our Jesus had wanted equality (in the sense of “I’ll treat you as well as you treat me”) then the entire human race would have been abruptly eliminated from the face of the earth the very day Adam and Eve sinned. God deserved our total worship, admiration, and praise, and yet when Eve sought equality with God and disregarded Him completely, it eventually ended in the reverse effect - God coming down to earth, the beautiful servant of all, who washed His disciples’ feet (His students, whom He knew would forsake Him later), healed lepers, forgave the prostitute, healed blind beggars, and let the little children come unto Him - and ultimately took our sin and bore it on the Cross. That’s some major inequality.

If our lives are going to be aligned with His, then equality gets thrown out the window, and we each must view one another as better than ourselves and seek to serve one another - no matter if the other person will serve us in return or not. If we’re totally obsessed with Jesus Christ, then our view of feminism will be radically different from the culture’s. Feminism should seem a far off notion to the Christian because, feminism is built upon the foundation of “my rights, my way, my interpretation.” This idea, as Kristen Clark has said, is woven with the same sin Satan committed in the beginning. A person whose life is built upon Jesus Christ has lost sight of oneself - one’s rights,one’s way, their interpretation - are all swallowed up in passionate pursuit of Jesus. If my life is all about Him, then I have no theme of my own - whatever He’s proclaiming is what I’m proclaiming too!

Do you believe that Jesus Christ proclaimed feminism (AKA equality)? Let’s see what His Word says:  

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV, emphasis added).

I’m no theologian, but I say that it was zero percent fair for Him to die for us. Jesus taking the blow for our sin = equality??? Jesus taking on the punishment I fully deserve, and making me a co-heir with Himself = totally fair? I don’t know about you, but if I took someone else’s punishment, and then shared my inheritance with them, I probably wouldn’t have felt like we had both gotten what we deserved. Jesus deserved adoration, we gave Him scorn. We absolutely and fully deserved hell because we broke His law, but He took our punishment so that we could have a chance to know Him. There’s something massively unfair and unequal about that. He gets the worse end of the deal, we get to be His children, if we will accept Him as our Lord.

What should make us uncomfortable about the “Kyle” example in my other post, is that, on almost every point, he’s nothing like Jesus!

One reader of my other feminism article said: “If feminism really did believe that men were dumb and nuisances, while women were to be exalted above others, I agree that such a philosophy would stand in opposition to the Bible. If we go with the definition that a feminist believes in the social, political, and economical equality of the sexes, then I actually believe that the Bible supports feminism and gender equality.”

The problem I have with gender equality is the simple fact that God did not create equal sexes. The definition of “equal” reveals some important thoughts:

Equal - Uniform in application or effect; without discrimination on any grounds.

I believe wholeheartedly that God values men and women the same amount - I do not believe for a moment that God has a “favorite gender.” A favorite Scripture of Christian feminists is Galatians 3:28. It says:

“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (emph. added).

If we dissect this a bit, we find that when His Word tells us that we “are all one in Christ Jesus”, the idea is not that we have no distinction between each other, but that there is unity. The Greek word there for “one” is, “εἷς, μία, ἕν” or transliterated: heis. It is also commonly translated  as -  alike, agreement, common, individual, individuality, unity -  we are the church, His bride. And oh what a day it will be when the men and women of our generation choose to stop chasing the agendas of this world - be that feminism, self-glorification, personal success, or whatever - and walk out into the open carrying absolutely nothing but the Cross! Self completely crucified, and Jesus Christ magnified and exalted. Then and only then will we be able to have the kind of unity described here in Galatians.

This is the kind of unity that is made up of men and women laboring together for the honor of their king - in the roles God has created for them. And He has given us all the information we need in His Word about what it means to be a man or woman of God. Feminism is crafted by the whims of the culture, Christ-centered masculinity and femininity were intricately designed by our God.

It is no cultural mistake that the woman has been called “the weaker vessel” (see 1 Peter 3:7). Ladies, this is the legitimate truth, and we should be excited about it! We are a picture of Christ’s bride, and if we believe that God is all-powerful, then we must agree that His bride is not all-powerful; she is dependant upon Her heavenly Bridegroom to provide for her every need - He is her strength, her joy, her peace, her endurance, and her everything. Other than Jesus Christ, there is no such man in this wide world. We, as Jesus-centered women are created for Jesus - to know Him and to make Him known. Such is the purpose of masculinity as well - that Jesus Christ would be Lord over their lives and their closest heart friend. And each man was created to be a picture of Jesus. This is why we see the man’s role as provider and initiator; it’s who our Jesus is, and the reflection He desires to see in the lives of the men around us. Ephesians 5:23 has such a great picture of this:  "For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.”  

The reader continues, “In the series ‘Romans For You’ by Tim Keller… He outlines how Paul’s discussion of adoption was actually radically different than the cultural ideas of adoption at the time. In Roman culture, women were not considered valid for adoption, since adoption was seen only as a means to distribute an inheritance. Since only males could receive an inheritance, only males were considered eligible for adoption. Paul challenges this by saying that God adopts His children as sons AND daughters, going against the culture of the time and promoting women to a position of equal opportunity with men. Reasons like this are why I support gender equality from a Christian worldview.”

My response to this is, as I previously stated, God loves men and women equally, but He has different roles for them. I agree completely that God adopts His children as sons and daughters, but Paul’s intention was not to exalt women! Paul knew his position - In Christ! And the only one to be exalted as we stand in Christ is, of course, Christ! God has made us as women to be bearers of life and nurturers of relationships, but our ultimate purpose is to glorify His name! He uses the roles He has designed us for - bearers and nurturers - in many different settings, according to His will for our lives. Even if you and I never become moms biologically, we are meant to be bearers of new life - meaning that we bring the Gospel with us everywhere we go, and disciple the women God brings into our lives, as He sees fit.  

No matter how your life looks twenty years from now, His will is for you to follow Him in obedience in every area of your life. His Word is very clear about the roles and design for womanhood and manhood; this is serious stuff, unlike what our culture is telling us! It is not our job to “match” the men. There is no place in all of Scripture where we are told to pursue equality; as a matter of fact, we are commanded in His Word to have this attitude about our rights:

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:5-7a).

We are commanded to be servants; not “personal rights activists.” May our womanhood ever be marked by servant-hood, and a full abandonment to Jesus Christ - in the way we view and exercise our role and in the way we understand the man’s role - and in every other place in our lives.   

I have found that if our culture is promoting something, I must not look at it from their point of view, ever. I have to see everything through the lens of God’s Word. As we navigate through current issues - feminism and beyond - we must know His Word! Or we will become the women as described in second Timothy: “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Tim. 3:1-7 NASB, emph. added).

Our God is fully aware of the state of our world and the strong pull of feminism. And He is not applauding it! He knows that feminism will one day fall, and all shall be as He intended.

 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5 NIV).

A final thought for the person who has come to the end of this article and is still a feminist: do you think we will be feminists in heaven? Focused on gaining equality between men and women? If you know God’s Word, you’ve probably caught onto something - Scripture and all of life is about Him! Not us, but Him! And when we are all in eternity together our focus will be perfectly set upon Him, and there will be no temptation to look anywhere else.

Men and women of the Cross, we are citizens of heaven, even now.

May we live as such.