Children Are a Blessing, Not an Inconvenience
Marriage was designed by the Creator God to be a lasting, stable union where
sexual relationships can be safely and purposely enjoyed—where children
can grow and be nurtured in a stable environment to become upstanding citizens
in the community.
A tragic consequence of the pervasive defi lement of this institution is
the widely accepted view that children are an inconvenience—even among
married couples. Children interfere with their preferred lifestyle. Some
parents openly declare that they "just can't wait" until their children are
out of the house.
What a tragedy. God has an entirely different view. "Behold, children are
a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward" (Psalm 127:3).
A reward? Contrast that to popular perception. According to God, children are,
not could be, a blessing to be cherished. (To maintain this blessing,
they should, as Ephesians 6:4 says, be brought up "in the training and admonition
of the Lord.".)
Do you realize that the low birthrate in Western democracies which is occurring
as a result of children being viewed as an infringement on a free lifestyle
is already making its mark? As the birthrate drops, pension funds (both public
and private) also begin to diminish. In the next decade and beyond, these
shifting demographics are threatening the retirement funds of future retirees.
Treating children as a "bother" is already threatening to cause acute economic
problems in the future. Though it is prudent to not have more children than
we are able to support, the Western world's declining birthrate, which is
more about accomodating selfi sh interests, is producing grave geopolitical
consequences.
A lesson of history from the ancient Israelites in Egypt is that population
growth produces power. God illustrates the dynamics of this in Psalm 127:4-5: "Like
arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy
is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but
shall speak with their enemies in the gate." GN
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