4 Reasons you should choose adoption

Several weeks I wrote about our plans to adopt, and it has become such a part of our lives that I can’t help but share with you more and more about what it means to us.

Adoption is not for everyone. I hope, though, that I might be able to convince some of you of the benefit and value.

The list of reasons to not adopt is long. It is expensive. It takes a long time. It is scary. It is full of the unknown. It will make your life much harder.

Did I mention how expensive it is?

But for every reason to not do it, there are others that make it worth the effort and time and money.

1. Choose life. As the church we often argue against abortion and for the concept of life. Adoption is a choice for life in two ways. If we truly want mothers who are considering abortion to choose to have their children and give them up for adoption, then we have to step up and adopt these kids. Actually giving a child a home does much more for this cause than holding up a sign in front of a clinic.

Help others choose life. Adopt.

2. You get what you pay for in life. I made jokes about the expense related to adoption, and we laugh because of how true it is. The cost of adoption is ridiculous, but it is worth it. Have you ever bought something, only to find that once you got it home it did not seem as exciting as it was in the store. Volvo’s work that way. Kids do not.

Make a financial decision that you will not regret. Invest in a child’s life.

3. Spiritual transformation. Adoption will help you more in your own personal spiritual growth than any Bible study or small group or Christian conference ever could. So often we fail to grow because we don’t appreciate our dependence on God. Adoption will never give an over inflated view of what you are capable of. From paperwork to embassies and visas to accepting a child into your family that have never met, adoption is full of twists and turns and roadblocks and the unpredictable.

When you go through the adoption process you will have to trust God more. It’s the only thing you can do.

4. Pure and Undefiled Religion. We should all be busy about kingdom work. There is nothing greater than adoption. Religion teaches us that we make God smile if we stop cussing or if we go to church or if we read the Bible in one year. But that’s not what James tells us. He tells us that when we take care of the poor and needy, God is pleased. This can look like all sorts of works and mission. Some of these mission are something that most of us are unable to do. We are unable to spend 6 months out of the year in Cambodia fighting human trafficking. We are unable to devote our lives to running a homeless shelter.

Share the love of God with others. Care for an orphan.

photo by Asif Akbar (stock.xchng)

My purpose in this post is not to shame or guilt you into choosing adoption. Rules can be dangerous. You will receive none of these benefits if you do it out of obligation rather than love.

Instead my hope is that some of you who are on the brink be are hesitating will be pushed over the edge. That some of you who have never considered it will have a conversation with your spouse to talk about whether or not your family should adopt.

Far too often we sit idly waiting for someone else to do something. Let’s stand up and get the work done ourselves. Today.

Have you ever considered adoption? Tell us about your reasons to or not to do it in the comments.