Having kids is a big, if not life-altering, decision that every couple will be confronted with at some point. I've met not a few couples who have decided not to have children and couples who just can't wait to have them.
Parenting is a great blessing. Psalm 127:3 tells us, "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward."
But just as it is a wonderful blessing, it is also one tied up with a great responsibility. The Bible lines up for us numerous principles on raising children. Why? Because child rearing is important to the kingdom of God. The way we raise our children not just affects our lives but also the next generation.
Are you ready to have kids? I don't want to be the one to stop you. I love kids. I love my daughter, and I hope to have more. But with the excitement must come an understanding of what's at stake.
Here are five things to consider before deciding to have kids:
1. You Will Not Have All Things Figured Out
If there's one thing I've figured out as a father for the past four years is that I wouldn't always know what to do. I've faced situations where my wife would ask me "what do we do with our daughter?" and I would just shrug my shoulders.
I have learned more to rely on God's grace as a parent and have seen the fruits of it. We will all go through the same thing. I'm not saying we shouldn't try, but our efforts will fail without Christ's perfection (2 Corinthians 12:9).
2. Priorities Will Be Challenged
We can say that a child won't get in-between our marriage for now. But we might as well prepare for the day when it happens. We might fall in the area of priorities multiple times—neglecting our spouse, our relationship with God, and our calling as a father or mother—just to please our children. But God will always redirect us back into His path as we lean on His understanding.
3. Responsibilities Won't Always Be Black And White
How I wish that my wife and I could have stuck to our diaper changing and feeding shifts, but there would be days when one of us would get sick and we'd have to compromise. In all of that we learned to value relationships over responsibilities and look beyond the imperfections.
4. Your Baby Won't Be Cute 24/7
Sure the thought of having a child might be enticing now, but that usually changes the first time a diaper is soiled or a tantrum is thrown. Children, just like us, are sinful beings that need to be directed into God's ways just as we needed the same at one point and even today.
5. We Train Kids To Be Released
You'll have your kids for the next 20 years or so, but time will come when they will have to spread their own wings and fly. Psalm 127:4 tells us, "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth."
Just as arrows are meant to be released, time will come that we as parents will have to release children into God's call for them. It won't always be easy, but it will always be necessary.
