With global warming, overpopulation, and rising poverty levels, I should have known better. I'm slowly destroying our economy. Our carbon print is killing countless amounts of animal species worldwide. Aaron and I will never go on great vacations. We will lead miserable lives, enslaved to these out-of-body fetuses that keep needing food, and clothes, and shelter, and care.
At least, that's what some would like for us to believe.
I really don't want to write a post filled with sarcasm or arguing why children are not a curse. We've heard all of the arguments before. What I do want to accomplish, however, is to speak to how we respond to those that would accuse us of having too many children.
I've come to find out that the problem was with me. Whenever someone would say something like "Are you gonna' have anymore," or, "I hope this is your last one, " or, "Are you done," my immediate response was full of sarcasm and anger, and just downright frustration. Why do I say the problem was with me? I wasn't convinced of my own argument. I wasn't quite sure if we were doing the right thing.
I'm not saying that this is the case for every mom or dad reading this post today, but if it does hit home for you, I hope I can help or encourage you in His Word, because that's the only source that will last.
I have not encountered too many in these past couple of years that have been disgusted at our family size, but that streak quickly came to an end yesterday. Elise and I were at the laundromat, and I needed assistance with one of the machines I was using. The owner came to help, and we started a small conversation. He asked if Elise was out of school and I told him that I home-school our children. He then asked how many we had, and I told him 10. Immediately, his retort was, "Oh, no! That's too many!" I smiled, and replied, "No, that's not too many. They're a blessing from God." He said, "No, no, no, no, no, they're not! He continued to say that, even as I said, "Children are an heritage from the Lord." He then broke his "no" chant, to say, "That is wrong!" I backed up, said thank you for your help with the washer, and continued on with my task.
Rewind this to a couple of years back, and I would have had this man crying where he was standing, or yelling back obscenities at me. What would that have accomplished? Were those moments that I blew up at anyone who questioned my life's choices a good testimony about God? The fact of the matter is, children ARE a heritage from the Lord! Children ARE a blessing! If all the world came together and chanted, like the laundromat owner I encountered yesterday, "No. No. No. No. No...," would that change God's Word of truth?
God's Word is our authority. Not my method of argumentation, but His Word. Not how loud I can yell, but His Word. And, unless I'm convinced of that, I'm going to fire at anyone that opposes me. I've learned that the best defense is to use the Word of God. (And I'm not talking about the verses that can be used out of context. For example, if someone said to me, "You have too many children, " I shouldn't answer with, " “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?,' or, "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" I'll remind you that Satan is the one that takes verses and misapplies them.) Boldly proclaim the Word. Yes, 'children ARE an heritage from the Lord', and I am happy to have my 'quiver full of them.' Realize that if they oppose what you are saying, their real opposition is with God.
I'll leave you with these few reminders of how we should address others, regardless if what they're saying to us is offensive, or rude, or just plain ignorant.:
"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." ~Colossians 4:6
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you," ~Matthew 5:44
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." ~James 1:19&20
"How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water." James 3:6-12
At least, that's what some would like for us to believe.
I really don't want to write a post filled with sarcasm or arguing why children are not a curse. We've heard all of the arguments before. What I do want to accomplish, however, is to speak to how we respond to those that would accuse us of having too many children.
I've come to find out that the problem was with me. Whenever someone would say something like "Are you gonna' have anymore," or, "I hope this is your last one, " or, "Are you done," my immediate response was full of sarcasm and anger, and just downright frustration. Why do I say the problem was with me? I wasn't convinced of my own argument. I wasn't quite sure if we were doing the right thing.
I'm not saying that this is the case for every mom or dad reading this post today, but if it does hit home for you, I hope I can help or encourage you in His Word, because that's the only source that will last.
I have not encountered too many in these past couple of years that have been disgusted at our family size, but that streak quickly came to an end yesterday. Elise and I were at the laundromat, and I needed assistance with one of the machines I was using. The owner came to help, and we started a small conversation. He asked if Elise was out of school and I told him that I home-school our children. He then asked how many we had, and I told him 10. Immediately, his retort was, "Oh, no! That's too many!" I smiled, and replied, "No, that's not too many. They're a blessing from God." He said, "No, no, no, no, no, they're not! He continued to say that, even as I said, "Children are an heritage from the Lord." He then broke his "no" chant, to say, "That is wrong!" I backed up, said thank you for your help with the washer, and continued on with my task.
Rewind this to a couple of years back, and I would have had this man crying where he was standing, or yelling back obscenities at me. What would that have accomplished? Were those moments that I blew up at anyone who questioned my life's choices a good testimony about God? The fact of the matter is, children ARE a heritage from the Lord! Children ARE a blessing! If all the world came together and chanted, like the laundromat owner I encountered yesterday, "No. No. No. No. No...," would that change God's Word of truth?
God's Word is our authority. Not my method of argumentation, but His Word. Not how loud I can yell, but His Word. And, unless I'm convinced of that, I'm going to fire at anyone that opposes me. I've learned that the best defense is to use the Word of God. (And I'm not talking about the verses that can be used out of context. For example, if someone said to me, "You have too many children, " I shouldn't answer with, " “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?,' or, "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" I'll remind you that Satan is the one that takes verses and misapplies them.) Boldly proclaim the Word. Yes, 'children ARE an heritage from the Lord', and I am happy to have my 'quiver full of them.' Realize that if they oppose what you are saying, their real opposition is with God.
I'll leave you with these few reminders of how we should address others, regardless if what they're saying to us is offensive, or rude, or just plain ignorant.:
"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." ~Colossians 4:6
"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you," ~Matthew 5:44
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." ~James 1:19&20
"How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water." James 3:6-12
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