Hard, Holy, and Hopeful: Why the Gospel Demands Our Presence in Foster Care

Foster care. What do those words stir in your heart? I’m sure there is some level of conviction or care or concern, or maybe even anxiety if you have been around the foster care system in any way. Foster care is important for both protecting children and helping families thrive; however, it is not always beautiful or easy or clean-cut. It is difficult and sad and full of injustice. Yet, I would argue that as Christians we are commanded to aid, pray for, or serve in some way. And by God’s grace and Spirit, we have the strength to do so. And the great news is that He sanctifies us through this process.

Why serve the families, children, and workers in the foster care system?

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:27)”

“Learn to do good; seek justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah 1:17)”

“Father of the fatherless . . . is God in his holy habitation. (Psalm 68:5)”

Our God and Father loves and is a father to the fatherless. He cares for the orphan; should we not also? We are commanded to visit the orphans, to seek justice for the fatherless, and to plead the widow’s cause.

One way we can obey these commands is by caring for those children in foster care and by caring for their parents. We can also step in the gap and advocate for a child in foster care through becoming a foster parent, guardian ad litem, or CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate). When we serve in foster care, we obey and glorify the Lord.  

I once saw a clip on Facebook of women at a pro-life march in DC, holding signs to “choose adoption”, yet when the interviewer asked the four women how many children they had adopted, each one said, “None.” Although there are huge hurdles to adoption and absolutely not everyone is called to it, this video was jarring for me and what it means to live out our conviction. It’s one thing to hold a sign one day a year stating you’re pro-life, yet it is another to sacrifice in the day-to-day through service to the parents and children who have actually chosen life.

As we proclaim that every life matters, that babies are wanted and loved, and that all are made in the image of God, let us not live in hypocrisy. We should not only speak the truth, but our actions must show the true motives and views of our heart. When we live out our convictions, our credibility to proclaim the gospel becomes that much more real and believable to both our neighbors and those we serve, which leads me to my next point: spreading the gospel.  

What a unique opportunity foster care gives us to share the gospel with many who may have never heard, may not feel worthy, or are in a particular situation of hopelessness. We have the hope they need — let us share it!

I have seen firsthand the way God can save souls through foster care. It is a beautiful picture of restoration and repentance. We get to share the gospel and hope of Jesus with both the children in our care, the parents of the children in our care, and the multitude of workers that are in and out of our home. The Lord is providing you with an abundant harvest; we just have to be obedient to be the workers who go out into the field.  

If you want to be sanctified quickly, involve yourself and your family in foster care. The difficulty of foster care brings us to see our weaknesses, thus making Christ’s power that much more powerful and perfect in us (2 Corinthians 12). Putting ourselves in these challenging and hard situations will most certainly bring us to see our own need for Christ, thus relying on Him and his Spirit more, thus sanctifying us daily.

If you are interested in serving in foster care, please reach out to me to join the foster care support team, through which we are able to serve local foster families and the foster families in our church with prayer, meals, baby showers, and service.

Recommended resource: Foster the Family: Encouragement, Hope, and Practical Help for the Christian Foster Parent (you can purchase it here!)