Does God Want Me to Have a Baby
Question
Does God look all of us to have children?
Respond
It'due south really not a thing of whether God "expects" the states to have children, since He is sovereign and all-seeing and knows who will and who won't have children. The question is actually one of whether or not having children is a requirement for Christians and whether or non we can have a fulfilled, obedient life in Christ without children.
The Bible tells u.s.a. that children are a blessing from God. Psalm 127:3–5 says, "Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Similar arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons built-in in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will non be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate." This does not mean that those without children are not blessed or that children are the only blessing of God. It simply means children are to exist looked upon as a blessing, not a curse or an inconvenience.
When God created Adam and Eve, "God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue information technology'" (Genesis 1:28). Later on the alluvion, God told Noah, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth" (Genesis nine:i). Procreation is function of God's command for humanity, and He certainly "expected" most people to have children. We also see having children every bit role of God's covenant with Abraham. He told Abraham, "I will make yous into a keen nation, and I will anoint you lot . . . and all peoples on world will be blessed through yous" (Genesis 12:2–3). This was ultimately fulfilled through Jesus Christ, the Savior who is fully God and fully human—and who was built-in from the line of Abraham.
In the Old Testament, children were seen as a physical sign of God'south blessing. Withal, and fifty-fifty though near people of that time may have felt differently, infertility was non a reliable sign of God's displeasure. Many couples in the Bible, such as Elkanah and Hannah (parents of the prophet Samuel), Abraham and Sarah (parents of Isaac), and Zechariah and Elizabeth (parents of John the Baptist), were godly men and women who for years had been infertile.
In the New Testament, children are certainly still seen every bit a blessing. Jesus welcomed children and taught His disciples that children exemplify many of the values of the kingdom of God. The apostle Paul gave instructions to parents and children about living well together (Ephesians 6:ane–four). One of the requirements for an overseer in the church building is that, if he is married with children, he must manage his own household well; if he cannot take care of his ain family unit, he is not likely able to care for the church (1 Timothy 3:four–5). There is no question that family is highly valued by God. But the New Attestation focuses more than on spiritual fruitfulness and multiplication than on physical blessings. Believers in Jesus become children of God (John 1:12). It is His family primarily that we want to aggrandize. Nosotros are to make disciples (Matthew 28:nineteen), not just biological offspring.
Children are and always volition be a approval from God—no matter how a child becomes part of i's life. But even though God has declared children to be a blessing from Him and procreation is part of the mandate for humanity at large, nowhere does the Bible state that every married couple must have or desire to have children. Again, infertility—at whatever historic period—is not a sign of God's displeasure. Couples without children are in no way less valuable or important to the kingdom of God than those with children. In fact, one might make the case that couples without children are able to devote more of their energy and focus to kingdom work than those with children, much like unmarried people (see 1 Corinthians 7:32). Married, single, with children, or without children, every child of God is an important member of His family and an integral part of the body of Christ. God's specific will for every individual and every couple is unlike. For many, God's volition includes having children, whether naturally or through adoption. For others, His will does non involve having children.
For those who desire children yet are unable to have them for any reason, committing the desire to God in prayer is best. He can assist you walk through the painfulness of the journey and too assistance you live out His all-time in this season. For those who do non desire to accept children, committing the desire to God in prayer is besides all-time. Sometimes our lack of desire is God-given. Other times, it is driven by past hurts, fearfulness, or selfishness. When nosotros expose our hearts honestly earlier God, He tin assist us sort out the mess, bring healing, and give us the desires of His heart.
It is all too easy for our desires for our ain lives to become idols. Even skillful desires, when they take the place of God in our lives, become idols. All of us, no matter our life situation or phase, practice well to examine our hearts, be honest with God in prayer, search His Word for wisdom, and commit our lives to Him. Ultimately, it is God who satisfies our hearts, and our lives are to be lived for His celebrity alone (Romans 12:1–2; Psalm 37).
Questions about Family and Parenting
Does God look all of us to accept children?
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This page concluding updated: January 4, 2022
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