Why should Christians view children as blessings rather than burdens?

Scott Aniol reminds us that children are indeed a blessing from the Lord, a truth that is rooted in the very beginning of creation. In Genesis, before the fall, God blessed Adam and Eve and commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. This command is not a burden but a divine blessing. Throughout Scripture, this idea is reinforced, emphasizing that children are gifts from God. Yet, in today's world, we often forget this and see children as impediments to personal success or comfort.

Parenting is undeniably hard work, but it's a rewarding endeavor that aligns with God's design. By raising children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, leading them to Christ, and nurturing them through the ordinary means of grace like Bible reading, prayer, and church involvement, parents can experience the joy and honor of seeing their children grow into godly individuals. It's crucial that we recover this perspective and not fall into the trap of viewing children as burdensome.

Psalm 127:3 (NKJV): "Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward."

Christians today need to always remember that children are a blessing from the Lord. That is what God has given us. Right in the very beginning of creation, in the first chapter, before the fall, God blessed Adam and Eve. It's a blessing. And he told them that the blessing would be, be fruitful and multiply.

We often hear that and read that as a mandate, as a command, and there's certainly that embedded in that command. But the text says God blessed them with that command, so it wasn't a burdensome command. Scripture throughout emphasizes and further develops that idea that children are truly a blessing from the Lord. We need to recover that. Children are hard work.

Parenting is hard work. That's certainly true, but ultimately children are a blessing. And if we put in the hard work of raising up our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, of leading them to Christ, of helping to form them through the ordinary means of grace in our homes with Bible reading and prayer and singing and in local churches with corporate gatherings and the preaching of God's Word. If we're faithful in that, if we do that hard work, then it will be a great blessing to us. Children, as they grow to be godly men and women, are an honor to their parents.

And so we need to recover that. We need to not fall into the trap of seeing children as burdens or impediments to our career success or our own comfort in this life. But God has given us children as both a blessing but also a mandate and so we need to obey that command to be fruitful and multiply. We need to marry and have children and see that as a great blessing from the Lord.