Most of my life I’ve noticed a trend of shaming families for having too many kids. The world was really selling the idea of 2 child homes when I was young. It’s as if all things were built to facilitate this particular family size and those who dared have more would just have to deal with the fact that they didn’t cooperate with the standard. Larger families were made to feel inconvenient.
Yes, I’ve heard the rhetoric that it’s selfish to have more kids. Or why would you want to. Or you can’t afford to have more kids. You know what I think is frightening? A country full of only children. Children with no siblings. I know that some parents can raise an only child and them not become totally self-absorbed, but that is the exception…not the rule. I know that in my life I’ve had several friends that were only children and each of them ended up being a horrible relationship. Those people were the most selfish and self-centered people I’ve ever known and had no qualms with simply discarding friendship the moment it was inconvenient for them. They also struggled with learning how to become parents…as they were not accustomed to sharing or considering others. Long suffering. That’s a skill you begin to learn while having to deal with siblings long-term…
I am one of five siblings. I’m here to tell you, those people can drive me crazy. But they are also the best. They force me to deal with my own crap because we will be siblings forever…so we’ve got to mature and change.
I’ve noticed that most often people don’t change unless they have some sort of catalyst…many times, mine has been my siblings. Over the last twenty years, it’s also been my husband and children.
Family is a gift. Family is also an opportunity. An opportunity to mature.
I’ve had a word burning on my heart lately…
It’s time to populate the earth.
We are in a time where the enemy is yelling at us to abort our babies, not have families, not get married…the elite are consistently flirting with ideas for population control.
Our response to the enemy should always be opposite…God told us to go forth and inhabit the earth and subdue it.
It’s time for God’s people to get married, stay married (rediscover commitment), have lots of kids, and build strong family units. Raise their children to follow Jesus…teach them at home…not just take them to church to be told…but actually live with Jesus at home. Be consistent.
Parents are to teach their children about God. Then we will know they are learning the truth. I don’t care how wonderful you think your church youth group is…it’s not meant to be their main place of learning. I don’t care how amazing you think your churches children’s ministry is…you are meant to be your child’s first and most attentive teacher. I don’t care how perfect you think your public or Christian school is, you are meant to be your child’s main teacher…even if they attend a school outside of the home. We can’t afford to not be involved.
It’s time to populate the earth and to actually raise our own children.
Controversial, maybe…but take a while and pray on this and let me know where you land.
Do you think this strange for a devotional? If so, let me challenge you…our devotion to God must include asking Him how He wants us to live in all aspects of our life. Who we marry. How many kids we have and how we raise them. These are areas of our lives to offer our devotion to Him.
As we surrender all of our plans to God, He will make our path secure.
Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.” Then God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground- everything that has life.” And that is what happened. Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day. Genesis 1:28-31
365 Days in the Presence 