"I'm Not Your Friend, I'm Your Parent" Says E.D.Hill

Chosen for Love with E.D. Hill

“By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9)

E.D. Hill was a FOX News anchor for 10 years. Her latest book is I'm Not Your Friend, I'm Your Parent.

When I was pregnant with my third child, I developed a very severe form of Hepatitis. The doctors tried all sorts of medicines and told me that my pregnancy complicated things. They were severely limited in their efforts to save my life because there were things they couldn’t do with a pregnant patient. Even so, I rejected the suggestion that I abort my baby.

The medical outlook was grim. I was told that if I was able to carry my baby to term, it was likely that my drug therapy would leave the baby mentally or physically challenged. There were no guarantees that I wouldn’t miscarry or the baby wouldn’t be stillborn.

I was fighting for my life and the life of my unborn child. I felt so helpless. Even at one of the top hospitals in the nation, the doctors simply couldn’t do anything. None of us was in control of my circumstances.

When you’re successful in life and your career, it’s easy to start feeling like that’s the most important thing. It’s easy to start believing that you control your own situation and create your own success. But lying in the hospital, I suddenly realized that I wasn’t in control. The most intelligent, best-educated doctors in the country had no control. Nobody had any control. Whether my baby and I lived or died was ultimately up to God. It was His choice.

When you get down to it, what do any of us do that earns us the right to demand that God should step in and save us, as though we deserve it? It’s a gift that He gives. Too often we don’t accept the fact that life is a gift. Life is a gift to be treasured.

In my career on FOX News, I see so many stories that shock me. In one story, there was a drag race with stolen cars where a pedestrian was hit. This story ran several times because the lack of humanity was amazing. The person who had been hit lay in the road and nobody walked over to check on him. One would hope that this person was left lying in the street because nobody else was around, but that wasn’t the case. The sidewalks were filled with people walking, going about their business. At one point, someone does walk over and peers down at the injured person, then simply walks away.

There is a person down, and the instinct of every single human being should have been to go to that person’s aid. Yet that is not what happened. We have created a society and a generation where people don’t want to get involved. They wait for someone else to take responsibility to help another human being. The lives around them aren’t valued highly.

At one point during my hospital stay, I realized that I wasn’t thinking about my job or success or any of the things I had thought were so important. I was thinking about my children. I was wondering who would help them grow to become the type of adults who value the truly valuable -- people.

Jesus, when asked which commandment is the greatest, spoke of love. “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37) Jesus then said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:31)

In a conversation with the disciples, Jesus told them that He had chosen them. “This I command you,” He said, “that you love one another.” (John 15:17)

Jesus focused on people. He valued us so highly that He willingly went to the cross to suffer and die on our behalf. His love is such that had He seen a hit and run victim, He would not have callously ignored his plight.

God chose us for love. He chose us before the foundation of the world. He chose to arrange it so that we could stand before Him, holy and blameless. Because of His love and kindness, He predestined us to be adopted by Him.

Think of it. The Lord made a choice, and that choice is us. Before everything, He chose to value us enough that He sent His only begotten Son to live among us, and die for us.

The Lord chose to save me and my baby. I gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy in spite of my illness and the doctors’ prognosis. I frequently tell my son, “Not only did God step in and save me for a greater purpose but He specifically wanted you on this earth because you shouldn’t be here.”

In walking me through my own personal Valley of the Shadow of Death, God showed me how deeply He values me and all people. Not only did He give me life, but He gave me LIFE!

This Week
Ask the Lord to show you how valuable you are to Him. Know that He chose you, and ask Him to make that deeply real to you.

Prayer
“Father, sometimes I doubt how much you value me. Sometimes I don’t value others as I should. Please forgive me. Please help me to know, deep in my heart, how much value You place in me and help me to value others as You do. Amen.”

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E.D. Hill joins James and Betty on LIFE Today tomorrow (Monday, December 14th) to discuss her latest book I'm Not Your Friend, I'm Your Parent: Helping Your Children Set the Boundaries They Need...and Really Want.