45th Anniversary of Roe V. Wade

We are reminded today of the anniversary of the tragic Roe decision that made abortion “safe and legal” in America. Sunday, in evangelical churches across our nation we celebrated Sanctity of Life Sunday. Some churches showed a short video, others had a guest speaker who spoke on the evils of abortion, and sadly, some of those speakers added to the crushing weight of fear, guilt, shame and regret that you live with every day.

Whatever led to your abortion decision is in the past, but you may be enduring the effects of that choice in the present. Perhaps you spend time searching on the internet for help for the emotional pain you carry. Like any other sufferer, you want to know if you are unique in what you are feeling and experiencing. What you most likely found are denials by prominent abortion providers that your experiences are connected to your abortion.

The Secrecy of Abortion

Because abortion is so secretive, a woman who is experiencing post-abortive emotional problems will rarely admit her issues are connected to her abortion. It is also possible she hasn’t made the connection herself. She only knows she is suffering from anxiety, sleeplessness, depression, or another emotional problem and she wants relief.

It is tragic that before an abortion, women are not told the truth about the feelings and emotions they will have for the rest of their lives after making this choice. It is unconscionable that abortion lobbyists deny the reality of Post-Abortion Syndrome. I know that some women would still choose abortion even with full knowledge of the ramifications on their spiritual, emotional and mental health. However, I believe the majority would not decide to abort if they only had a full understanding of what awaited them from the moment their child’s life ends.

Processing After an Abortion

Most women do not talk about their abortion; therefore, they do not process it or adequately address the feelings and emotions that have resulted from that decision. She plays mind games with herself as though if she ignores that part of her past it will be as though it never happened.

Denial is one tool that a woman uses to avoid facing the pain from choosing to have an abortion. Denial is often initiated by abortion providers who discourage her from considering abortion as killing a pre-born child. From the time the abortion is completed, she is encouraged to move along with her life and put the event behind her.

Satan uses denial to keep women in spiritual bondage. As long as she denies the abortion, she will not deal with the guilt, fear, and anger that accompany her emotional response when dealing with the spiritual aspects of abortion. She will not seek forgiveness or repentance for her sinful actions while in denial.

Seeking Counsel

However, many women will reach a point where they can no longer deny what they have done, and they look for help. Women who seek to counsel may wait as long as ten years before doing so, and what brings her to counseling is not the abortion, it is all the other problems in her life that are present because of the abortion. She may not understand that her self-destructive relationships and self-destructive behaviors are directly related to her abortion. When asked, she might tell you she is over it, and that her abortion was so long ago that it doesn’t have anything to do with her present problems. The reality is the emotional problems do not fade away with the passage of time. By the time she is willing to get the help, she is exhausted from the fight to deny the truth.

As painful as facing the reality of her abortion is, living the way she has been living is just not an option anymore. She realizes she must face her actions because the pain and guilt continue to surface in ways she cannot control.

Plea to Begin the Path to Wholeness

If you are post-abortive and desire to reconcile this choice, I urge you to begin the path to wholeness today. Confession and repentance are the only means by which you can be reconciled to God; first for your salvation, and then to come to terms with the abortion choice. All sin is forgivable in Christ, and you must run to Jesus for forgiveness. It is imperative that you understand that the only hope for forgiveness for all sin is a salvific relationship with Jesus Christ. Anyone who refuses to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of their soul will continue to be bound by guilt, and there is little you can do until you humble yourself before God and cry out to Him for salvation (Psalms 69, 40, 80).

In Christ, you will have a new identity (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 2:20; John 1:12; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Corinthians 1:21 – 22; Romans 8:1, 17; Hebrews 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:9; Ephesians 1:4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 1:13 – 14)! Christ died for the shame of your abortion choice when He died for your sin. Confession of Christ as your Lord and Savior means you cannot righteously claim you are bad because, in Christ, you are righteous and holy (1 Corinthians 1 – 30; Colossians 1:22).

No, you cannot remedy your wrongs, but Christ can! You must learn to renew your mind (Romans 12:2). Look at what the Bible says happens when we confess our sin to God (1 John 1:9), and how God sees us in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Recommendation

I also recommend you find a local chapter of Healing Hearts Ministry (https://www.healinghearts.org/). You will connect with post-abortive women such as yourself who have found help, healing, hope, and freedom from the results of their abortions.

Please don’t continue to suffer alone.