Allow me to venture out on a limb.
I believe one of the primary reasons abortion runs rampant in America today is because Christians are not willing to adopt the "unwanted" children trapped in orphanages. You see, for thirty years the pro-abortion crowd has been chanting, "Every child a wanted child." They claim if a child isn't wanted, it's better to abort than to doom a child to a life of poverty and neglect.
To bolster their position, the other side points to the number of children sitting unclaimed in orphanages in every state. In turn, a young woman in the midst of a crisis pregnancy is led to believe the lie that the humane solution is to terminate her pregnancy.
We in the pro-life community respond by speaking of adoption as the alternative to abortion. But here's where I must inch further out on that limb. Far too many of us are engaged in lip service. Why do I say that? There are more than 134,000 children in America sitting in foster care who are immediately available and waiting for a good home. However, each year only a few thousand church-going families open the doors to their homes to those who have no one to call their own.
There's something wrong with this picture. We have been blessed with such great freedom, riches, and the finest things in life which, far too often, we squander on ourselves and our personal pursuits without a thought for the Kingdom perspective.
It's easy to forget that each and every one of these orphaned children are precious to the Savior. Throughout scripture we see God as ". . . the helper of the orphan" (Psalm 10:14). I am convinced that Christians must be leading the international dialogue about our responsibility to provide a home and a family for those who have none.
Imagine the damage done to these children of neglect, some of whom bounce from foster home to foster home. Through the years, who will hold them when they're afraid? Who will gently wipe away their tears? Who greet them with unconditional love when they're down? Who will shelter them from harm? Who will listen to their dreams and be there to help them reach for the skies?
Who will introduce them to Jesus?
You see, the adoption of orphans is one of the greatest opportunities today for fulfilling the Great Commission. Think about it. When a child is received into a family where they can be taught right from wrong, be introduced to the Savior, and where they can grow up in a secure and loving environment, that child is positioned to meet and experience the living God in a tangible way.
I cannot escape the words of James 1:27a, "This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans . . . in their distress." Nor can I turn a deaf ear when I know the heartbeat of the Father resonates with the needs of the fatherless (Psalm 10:17-18).
What an awesome opportunity you and I have to reach the world for Jesus, one home and one child at a time.