Bishan church

Are children God’s blessing or curse?

August 20th, 2008

As a christian, what are your views towards having children?

In the National Rally speech, our Prime Minister threw out baby baits to encourage reversing the trend in falling fertility rate in Singapore.

The trend of falling birth rates is often perceived to be high among the English educated yuppies. I am not sure whether it is still true recently. Many young Christian couples delay having children and some do not want any at all.

What does the bible say about chidlren? Should these verses be interpreted from a cultural context?

Psalms 127:3-5
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

1. Children are an heritage of God
2. They are His reward.

Psalms 128:1-4 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.

You who fear the Lord will be blessed. One of the blessings is having children.

Proverbs 17:6 Children’s children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

More blessings in your old age!

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Sufer little children……..such is the kingdom of God…so are children a curse? troublesome?

An enigmatic verse which I do not the know meaning:
1 Timothy 2:15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Women will be saved in childbearing. Strange isn’t it?

The issue I want to focus is NOT 1) ability to have children or 2) number of children BUT the unwillingness to have children.

Muslims view children as gifts from God thus however poor they are they still have many children because it is Allah’s gift and Allah will provide. Young modern christian couples reasons for not having children vary from ” they are too troublesome” , ” I want my freedom” to ” I can’t give them the best so it is better not to” to ” …look at other people, look at the poor in the world..”

Who values children more as God’s gifts? Where is God in the response of christians who do not want children?

I repeat the issue is not ability of having children or number of children one should have but the UNWILLINGNESS to have any!

God will provide because our children are a blessings VS I can provide! God’s blessings Vs My freedom?

What is the best you can give another person especially a child? Best education? Best insurance coverage? Best food?

The best you can give a person is YOU , yourself. Yes, you will lose your freedom. It is called sacrifice. Righteousness often require us to give up our rights because of righteousness sake.

Maybe that explains what it means that women will be saved in childbearing. What was the context of the verse?

1 Timothy 2:13-15 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Let me confess upfront that this is my speculation for you to ponder:
Eve was too focused on herself thus she was deceived. How do you teach someone who is too focused on Self? Looks like God’s way is to provide a child to teach daughters of Eve. God is Himself a parent.

Being saved is when you have a relationship with someone who saves you, protects you, watches over you. Is God trying to teach women who are like Eve to learn to totally dependent on Him through raising children? When you have a relationship with God like your child has with you , maybe then you truly understand what salvation means, O daughters of carnal Eve!

What about women who can’t have children? Maybe we should study the relationship they(husband and/or wife) had with God. Abraham and Sarah, Hannah, Manoah and wife: I suspect they have a saving relationship with God already, even without childbearing.

The verse in Timothy has a strange condition too with regards to ” saved in childbearing”, i.e. if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

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