Is It Wrong To Be A Christian And Not Want To Have Kids?
Raising kids is a weighty responsibility. The Bible gives parents the very important task of raising children in love so that they will love the Lord and desire to honor Him in whatever field they may find themselves in as they grow up. And while we might find the idea of seeing our kids all grown up and serving God as wonderful, we can't deny the fact that the responsibility is great.
With this, some of us might want not to raise kids anymore. The weight of the parenting responsibility, coupled with the expenses and stress in raising children – does this make you not want to have kids? I hope it doesn't, but if it does, I have something to share with you.
Designed by God
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Contrary to how today's culture defines child-raising, the Bible tells us that parenting is a joyful God-given mandate – and that by design, we are meant to have kids.
Genesis 1:27-28 reveals to us that family is a primary structure that God created:
"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth."" (emphasis mine)
By this we realize that God wants a man and woman to have children, of course within the context of marriage. He designed us to marry and have children. Marrying and having kids was and always is God's idea, and so it is good.
A blessing to long for
In Psalm 127:3-5 we are then told that children are a gift from the Lord.
"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. 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."
Children – even having many of them – are a blessing from God. In the Old Testament, barren women are sad and often cry out to God for children (see Hannah in 1 Samuel 1). Fathers also want to have children to pass their inheritance to (see Abram in Genesis 15:2-3).
By Design and Purpose
Friends, by these verses we can conclude that God wants us to have kids. He Himself is Father to us, and wants us to know Him better by having kids of our own. And while the choice to have kids is yours to make (see 1 Corinthians 10:23), I urge you to long for a child to take care of and raise in the ways of the Lord (see Proverbs 22:6).
Don't worry about your career or money. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (see Matthew 6:33). We were meant to have kids and raise them up for the Lord.
