So, the other day I was cruising through Facebook and saw a
link to a Christian magazine article that caught my eye. It was about 20 things
that Christian couples should do before having children. I thought it was going
to be an article about things that you logically need to do before having
children like: making a will, preparing a home for a family, or even deciding
what you believe about raising children. However, to my surprise this article
was about things such as traveling to exotic destinations, buying your dream
car, joining a kickboxing club and playing soccer with a team. The article
actually encouraged couples to put off having children in order to enjoy these activities.
To be honest, this article made me mad. Now, the disclaimer
here is this: I do not think any of the activities in the article are bad. I do
not think that everyone should think like me. And I do not expect the world to
understand my viewpoint. But I am going to get preachy in this post. That’s
it…disclaimer over.
My point here is that I didn’t read this article in a People
magazine or an “all-about-you” magazine. I read it in a Christian online
magazine. Shouldn’t we look different than the world?!?
If you are a bit confused as to why this article made me
mad, then we need to have a brief conversation. My biggest dream was to simply
be a wife and mom. So obviously, I value children. Even more than that though,
I think that children are a blessing from the Lord. Actually Psalm 127:3 says,
“Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” This world is
full of children who need love and God calls them a reward. Wow, it doesn’t get
much plainer than that.
Again, I am not trying to say that everyone should make the
same decisions that I have made, but if God thinks that all children are a
gift, why would we not agree!
This debate hits home for so many couples who are not able
to have children. They sit back and read articles like that and only wish and
pray that they could have children. This article also may hit home for single
folks who wish that they had a partner to share children with. Frankly it hits
me hard, because I am a lioness who believes that children have great value.
One commentator on Psalm 127:3 summed my heart up well: “Too
often children are seen as liabilities rather than assets. But the Bible calls
children, ‘a gift from the LORD,’ a reward. We can learn valuable lessons from
their inquisitive minds and trusting spirits. Those who view children as a
distraction or nuisance should instead see them as an opportunity to shape the
future. We dare not treat children as an inconvenience when God values them so
highly.”
Thank you for letting me rant about something that is so
precious to my heart. I pray that my little rant will at least help one person
examine what they think about children. Please value them, even those that may
not be your own. Children are a blessing!!!
