Insight for Today
A Daily Devotional by Pastor Chuck Swindoll

An enormous amount of emotion swirls in the abortion arena, as it has for decades. In light of conflicting voices on the horizon and the undeniable reality that the issue isn’t going away and will not automatically solve itself, why would I write on something this controversial, this thorny? A few answers come to mind.

First, I want to inform you of the facts. Surprisingly, many still do not know the scoop. Though the subject is a hot topic and occupies space in all the media, I am convinced that most have not been sufficiently informed of the facts. Due to limited space, I am forced to stay lean on statistics and stories, but be assured what I do present, though limited, is accurate and it represents only a tip of the iceberg.

Second, I want to help you gain courage. It is easy to be intimidated. The thought of stepping into an arena as volatile as this one is not pleasant; it takes courage. Women who are pregnant and find themselves in an unhappy and/or unhealthy situation will naturally be tempted to “solve” their dilemma by getting an abortion. My hope is to give such women the courage to say no to an abortion.

On the other hand, there are some who have gotten an abortion and cannot pull out of the depression or get beyond the guilt. If you are in that particular situation, you need the ability to go on, you need the assurance God offers anyone who has made a regrettable decision and cannot seem to recover. My hope is to provide a “courage transfusion,” which will give you some needed light at the end of this dismal tunnel.

Courage is needed in all our lives if we plan to do more than shake our heads and think about how tragic these things really are. Right thinking leads to tough decisions, which are followed by some kind of action. My hope is to increase your level of courage so that you will respond in ways that are both appropriate and effective.

Another area of needed courage—perhaps the most important of all—is the courage to be sexually pure. Since such a high standard of morality has been ignored or scoffed at so often in recent decades, the thought of embracing it seems out of the question. As one so-called authority recently put it, “It’s so obsolete it’s laughable.” I disagree; you may, as well. But to model moral purity, one needs courage. Hopefully, some of my words will help stimulate that into action.