How does God see Children?

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not on your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

So if we are trusting God and obeying His Word, then the question arises how does God see children? Who plans our families? Us or God? This post inspired by Family Unplanning by Craig Houghton. I cannot recommend his book enough.

He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock, in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. Deuteronomy 7:13

So God considered children a blessing. Do you want to know what He considered a curse?

But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. ¹⁶ Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. ¹⁷ Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. ¹⁸ Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Deuteronomy 28:15-18

So to be married and without children God considers a curse. It makes sense then, that the world would have that all mixed up. The world is selfish and very me-centered, God’s Word tells us to be the opposite. Typically if culture tells us to do one then, God’s Word will tell us to do the opposite. What I don’t understand is how this children aren’t a blessing mindset made it into our churches. Are people and pastors not reading their Bibles for themselves?

And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. Genesis 29:31

Leah wanted children, Jacob showed her favor for having them, and later we see how much Rachel wanted children to. God comforted Leah in her loveless marriage. And He blessed her with more children.

And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb. Genesis 30:22

Jacob was blessed with twelve sons as well as daughters. And at the end of his life, when he blessed his sons, he included a blessing of the womb. So Jacob despite having over twelve children, still thought that many children were a blessing.

by the God of your father who will help you,
    by the Almighty who will bless you
    with blessings of heaven above,
blessings of the deep that crouches beneath,
    blessings of the breasts and of the womb. Genesis 49:25

Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. Malachi 2:15

In this verse, God makes it clear that the purpose of marriage is to make godly offspring. This one verse was enough to convince me that it was a sin for me to be married and actively trying not to have children. The Bible doesn’t seem to encourage a couple to spend time just getting to know each other before having children, and it certainly doesn’t encourage women to put careers above becoming mothers. It doesn’t say get a house and pay off your student loan debt before having a family.

He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord! Psalm 113:9

A joyous mother. As Christians we should be joyful parents. None of this antichildren mindset that the world has. Children aren’t a burden, they are God’s gift to us!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

God doesn’t change His mind, He is eternal. If His goal for marriage was godly offspring then His goal is still godly offspring. Will we submit to God? Will we accept our responsibility? Life for Christ is not a call to what is convenient, it’s a call to holiness. Just like the point of marriage isn’t to make you happy but to make you holy. Don’t feed your selfishness! The world will try that every chance it gets.

Being parents isn’t always easy, but it’s always good. My Pastor loves to say that when you get married, it squeezes some of the selfishness out of you. You put your spouse before yourself because the Bible tells you to, and that forces you to be a bit less selfish. And then you have children and as my Pastor puts it, you suddenly have your heart walking around outside your body. (As a mother, I find this a very good description.) And it squeezes more of the selfishness out of you, because you have to put their needs before your own.

When Lily woke me up in the middle of the night because she was hungry, everything in me wanted to go back to sleep. But I picked up my baby and nursed her. Being a parent showed me that I’m still selfish and impatient, but the more time I spend in God’s Word, the more I am conformed the image of God’s Son. The Bible isn’t guidelines, it’s God’s Word to us, and teaches us how to live.