For 10 and ½
years I worked for a well-known pro-life organization. It was truly an honor to be shoulder to
shoulder with so many dedicated people.
However though the years it often frustrated me to see the commodity
based approach that many within this company took to children.
I distinctly
remember a conversation with some co-workers in which they said some mutual
friends were expecting their 7th baby and praying for a bigger
house. One of them said “Don’t they know
what causes that?” They proceed to
discuss how this couple should figure out how to “fix” the problem.
I was stunned! How far have has the pendulum swung in our
society when a happily married couple is scorned for welcoming new life into
their own family? Why is it that the
natural result of a loving marriage considered a problem?
I don’t know all
the answers, but consider this. Why do
people get abortions? Possible reasons include
but are not limited to: not ready for a baby, the timing is bad, I can’t afford
to raise a baby, etc.
What reasons do
Christian couples give for waiting to have children or limiting family
size? Reasons I often hear include but
are not limited to: not ready for a baby, the timing is bad, I can’t afford a
baby etc. (Is it just me or is there an echo in here?)
Look at the
above paragraphs again. Do we even
realize that the reasons the Church gives are the same reasons not to have kids or
to limit family size as the world does when they choose to kill their babies
through abortion. That breaks my heart.
I think it’s
important to go back to the basic and see what God says about children because
we should seek to have the mind of Christ in all this things. So what DOES He have to say?
“So Abraham
prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants;
and they bare children. For the Lord had fast
closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's
wife.” (Genesis 20:17-18)
“But unto Hannah
he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut
up her womb.” (I Samuel 1:5)
“Lo, children
are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As
arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is
the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they
shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:3-5)
“But when Jesus
saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children
to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” Mark
10:14
God places a
high value on children in His Word. They
are one of the only things listed in the Scriptures as a direct blessing from
the Lord. Many times in the Scriptures
baroness was a punishment and viewed as a curse. Now (even in the Church) it is almost viewed
as a blessing. My hope is that we will
check our attitudes and choose God’s heart for children.
In closing, I
just want to say that it’s not about a number.
Whether you have 2 kids or 12 kids (or anywhere in between) I urge you
to trust God and thank Him for the blessing of children!
Speaking4Him,
Andrew Gommesen
