I am often asked how many children I plan on having. Upon hearing my response (typically a "as many as the good Lord gives me") most people ask me why. Up until this point I have never seen the need to articulate my reasoning clearly, but yesterday one of my good friends asked me. The answer, I felt, would be best answered with a blog, which will hopefully contain a balanced ratio of both sobriety and levity. So, here goes my five reasons for having multiple children, in order of least to most important:
1. Spencers make cute babies. Okay...maybe this is one is a wee bit subjective and maybe just a little biased, but, hey, I think my kids are darn cute. My nieces and nephews are pretty cute, too. It almost feels like we have a duty to fill the world with beautiful people.
2. It's a family thing. Having children is one of the ways I embrace the Christian heritage my parents gave me. My father is, and my mother was, passionate about children. My father is a teacher of all 12 grades and my mother volunteered at the Alliance Pregnancy Center, the local Christian pro-life mission. I am the youngest of 7, though my parents wanted more (it turns out that 7 C-section is pretty much the max). My best friends were (and still are) my cousins, of whom there are 8. Simply put, large families are simply a part of my consciousness. I was raised in and around them.
3. Joy. Joy is not only my wife's middle name, but is also what my children bring me. I have two kids (and a bun in the oven) that bring me large amounts of joy. More will bring me more joy, right? It only makes sense. Children are viewed as a blessing throughout the Bible. Psalm 127:3 is a great example. It says, "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD; the fruit of the womb a reward." This is not to say that God is cursing you if you are unable to have children, but it does say that children are one of the ways God chooses to bless people. Why would we reject blessings? I don't know about you, but I like blessings, and I trust God's definition of what a blessing is.
4. For my children's sake. Having been raised with 6 siblings, I cannot imagine a world without the camaraderie, love, and sanctification they provided in my youth and continue to provide in our adult years. I want to give my children playmates and best friends. I want to give them older brothers to idolize and younger brothers to mess with. I want to give them younger sisters to protect and older sisters who will boss them around. Galilee and Genesis are already best buds. Not only will sibling relationships be an enjoyable experience for my kids, but I also know that it will help them grow as Christians and as individuals. Having multiple siblings helps to snuff out selfishness and entitlement. It helps develop social skills. It helps to train children to be adults with responsibilities and problem-solving skills. There are so many benefits of having multiple siblings. This is not to say that only-children are selfish or unprepared for life. Having multiple siblings does, however, offer a dynamic that is simply unavailable elsewhere.
5. For the sake of Christ's Kingdom. Psalm 127:4 compares children to arrows, while Verse 5 encourages us to fill our quivers with them. Children are spiritual weapons against the powers of evil. Faithful, covenant-keeping children are not only joys to their parents, but are also tools and weapons in God's army to proclaim His name and establish His dominion on this Earth. Having children is not about me. It's about God.
1. Spencers make cute babies. Okay...maybe this is one is a wee bit subjective and maybe just a little biased, but, hey, I think my kids are darn cute. My nieces and nephews are pretty cute, too. It almost feels like we have a duty to fill the world with beautiful people.
2. It's a family thing. Having children is one of the ways I embrace the Christian heritage my parents gave me. My father is, and my mother was, passionate about children. My father is a teacher of all 12 grades and my mother volunteered at the Alliance Pregnancy Center, the local Christian pro-life mission. I am the youngest of 7, though my parents wanted more (it turns out that 7 C-section is pretty much the max). My best friends were (and still are) my cousins, of whom there are 8. Simply put, large families are simply a part of my consciousness. I was raised in and around them.
3. Joy. Joy is not only my wife's middle name, but is also what my children bring me. I have two kids (and a bun in the oven) that bring me large amounts of joy. More will bring me more joy, right? It only makes sense. Children are viewed as a blessing throughout the Bible. Psalm 127:3 is a great example. It says, "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD; the fruit of the womb a reward." This is not to say that God is cursing you if you are unable to have children, but it does say that children are one of the ways God chooses to bless people. Why would we reject blessings? I don't know about you, but I like blessings, and I trust God's definition of what a blessing is.
4. For my children's sake. Having been raised with 6 siblings, I cannot imagine a world without the camaraderie, love, and sanctification they provided in my youth and continue to provide in our adult years. I want to give my children playmates and best friends. I want to give them older brothers to idolize and younger brothers to mess with. I want to give them younger sisters to protect and older sisters who will boss them around. Galilee and Genesis are already best buds. Not only will sibling relationships be an enjoyable experience for my kids, but I also know that it will help them grow as Christians and as individuals. Having multiple siblings helps to snuff out selfishness and entitlement. It helps develop social skills. It helps to train children to be adults with responsibilities and problem-solving skills. There are so many benefits of having multiple siblings. This is not to say that only-children are selfish or unprepared for life. Having multiple siblings does, however, offer a dynamic that is simply unavailable elsewhere.
5. For the sake of Christ's Kingdom. Psalm 127:4 compares children to arrows, while Verse 5 encourages us to fill our quivers with them. Children are spiritual weapons against the powers of evil. Faithful, covenant-keeping children are not only joys to their parents, but are also tools and weapons in God's army to proclaim His name and establish His dominion on this Earth. Having children is not about me. It's about God.
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