If you have been given the unsettling or even frightening news that your unborn child has a serious developmental issue, then you may have questioned whether you should consider aborting the baby.

It may be very difficult to understand why this has happened to you, why your baby is not the normal healthy child you would have hoped for, all while understanding that God truly has a purpose for all of His creation.

Though it may be a difficult path, remember: your baby didn’t come into existence by accident. You are not held in the grip of blind fate or an impersonal force like a cork caught on the ocean. There is a powerful connection between God and your child.

Psalm 139:13-16 summarizes God’s marvelous works in the life of your baby. From this passage of Scripture, we can confidently surmise that God not only directs the time, place and the nature of your child’s birth, but also the family in which the child is placed. Simply put, no matter the physical challenge, your child is a special gift given specifically to you from God!

So what can you do if you’re faced with caring for a baby who will be born with physical challenges? Make a commitment to be biblical in your thinking.

When we open our Bibles we discover two fundamental truths regarding life:

First, your child is a gift from God.

Every child in the womb of its mother is fearfully and wonderfully created by God. “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). Job 31:15 asks, “Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?”

Second, your child is made in God’s image.

This profound truth is found in Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Mankind is distinct from every other part of God’s creation in that Man has been made in the image of God. Human life is therefore the most precious thing in all the world.

What do these truths tell us?

That God has fashioned every single one of us with a unique purpose to fulfill. That’s wonderful because it means that no one will be able to change those around them exactly like your child will. It is in individuality where great value can be found.

Your child’s apparent weakness and limitations may actually prove to be their greatest asset to God’s purpose.

Often those who come into this life with limitations or weaknesses are uniquely able to develop powerful spiritual character such as compassion and courage—Godly characteristics which can make a big impact in this world.

With the challenges that lay ahead, remember that the same God who has given you this gift will also give you the strength to fulfill His plan for your baby!

Proverbs 16:9 reads, “A man’s (person’s) heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” This verse tells us that our Creator is operative in all that comes to pass in our lives and will walk together with those who put their faith and trust in Him rather than succumbing to our own fears or desires.

Have faith in the One who has given you the precious gift of a baby made in His very image. Your Creator loves you and will give you the support and strength you need every day. Trust in Him and He will bring you and your child to the day when His wonderful purposes are fulfilled! A time is coming, just over the horizon, when people with physical maladies will be healed (see Isaiah 35:3-6).

To find out more about both your purpose and your baby's, read our free Bible study aid Why Were You Born?