Sadly, I do not hear many Christians who do not have children speak positively about children. It seems that too many Christians have adopted the non-Christian cultural perspective about children, primarily that they get in the way and hinder us from living “our” life how we desire. In an effort to encourage Christians in the West to think positively about children and to bear more children, this article addresses the eightfold purpose of children in the world and society according to the Bible.
1. Children Enable Humankind to Obey God’s Command in Genesis 1:28
Children enable humankind to obey God’s command to fill the earth, subdue it, and have dominion over it. Genesis 1:28 recounts God’s command to humankind to have lots of children (“Be fruitful and multiply”) so that humans can then fill the earth for the purpose of subduing the earth and having dominion over the animal kingdom:
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
GENESIS 1:28
Without children, humankind would be unable to fill, subdue, and have dominion over the earth that God gave to us as custodians. Without having many children, humankind would be in rebellion just like the people of Babel were when they disobeyed the Genesis 1:28 command (Gen 11:1–9):
“Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.’”
GENESIS 11:4, emphasis added
Rebellion against God’s command to fill, subdue, and have dominion over the earth did not go well for humanity at Babel (Gen 11:7–9). Let us not make the same mistake twice. For more information on Genesis 1:28, click HERE.
2. Children are God’s Blessing to Those who Fear God (Psalm 128)
Psalm 128 claims that God will bless those who fear Him and walk in his ways with many children.
“Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.”
PSALM 128:1–4, emphasis added
Children are God’s blessing to his faithful followers. Far be it from any Christian to shun what God calls a blessing. It is the hight of arrogance to believe we know better than God, and this includes the topic of children. For more information on Psalm 128, click HERE.
3. Children Bring Joy (Proverbs 23:24–25; 29:17)
Contrary to what we frequently hear in the media, children bring joy and happiness to their parents:
“The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice; he who fathers a wise son will be glad in him. Let your father and mother be glad; let her who bore you rejoice.”
PROVERBS 23:24–25; 29:17
“Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.”
It is true that parents must put in effort into raising their children well, but the outcome is joy, happiness, and even rest (peace). Do you want a life full of joy? Then get married and have children.
4. Children Provide Us with an Heir (Gen 15:1–4; Prov 13:22)
Children provide us with someone to whom we can pass on our possessions. Christians should certainly store up treasures in heaven (Matt 6:19–21). For some of us, however, we have also accumulated a fair bit of wealth and possessions in this lifetime. For those who have accumulated wealth and possessions, we want them to go to someone meaningful, not the government or some distant relative. Children provide us with an heir to whom we can pass on our possessions.
This was the case with Abraham in Genesis 15:1–4. Abraham needed a son to be his heir, so that his wealth and possessions did not go to Eliezer his servant. The idea of leaving an inheritance is also found in Proverbs 13:22, which says:
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.”
PROVERBS 13:22
5. Children Take Care of Us in Our Old Age (1 Timothy 5:1–8)
Our own children will take care of us in our old age. The apostle Paul is clear that it is the responsibility for children to take care of their parents. In discussing which widows should be enrolled in the church’s assistance program, Paul tells Timothy that those widows who have children and grandchildren should not be enrolled because it is the responsibility of the children and grandchildren to take care of them. Paul even goes so far as to say that those who refuse to take care of their relatives are “worse than an unbeliever”!
“Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them [the children and grandchildren] first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
1 TIMOTHY 5:3–8, emphasis added
6. Children Protect Us (Psalm 127)
Children, specifically sons, are able to protect the family when the father is unable either due to old age or because he is incapacitated in some way. Note what Psalm 127:3–5 says:
“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.”
PSALM 127:3–5
The reference to speaking with one’s enemies at the gate refers to the city gate where legal and economic issues were settled. Sons could defend the family’s interests in the father’s old age or if he became incapacitated. Further, the man who has many sons (“fills his quiver with them”) is better poised to protect the family and the family’s interests.
Protection is certainly a reason for having sons, even in the modern age. As parents get older, sons can pick up the slack and ensure no one takes advantage of their parents, physically, financially, or economically. As to why Psalm 127:3–5 refers to “sons” and not “children” see my other article HERE.
7. Wise Children Rebuff Reproaches and Taunts (Proverbs 27:11)
This world is certainly full of slander, insults, taunts, and reproaches. Most everyone has been reproached at one time or another. How does one respond to these insults and reproaches? Scripture says that a wise child is the answer to someone who reproaches you:
“Be wise, my son, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him who reproaches me.”
PROVERBS 27:11
When a person is insulted, slandered, or reproached, he may point to his children (or sons) as vindication for the way he has lived his life because a wise son proves that the father has lived well and taught well. A parent may say, “you may look down upon me, but look at how my child turned out; look how wise he is; I am the reason for this because I raised him to be wise and successful.” Thus, a wise child can rebuff almost any reproach or taunt.
8. Children Prevent Young Widows from Various Sins (1 Timothy 5:11–16)
In his excurses about which widows should be enrolled in the church for assistance and which should not, Paul tells Timothy that young widows should not be enrolled, but they should marry and have children to prevent them from the sins of idleness, gossip, and being busybodies:
“Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander.”
1 TIMOTHY 5:13–14
Because widows no longer have a husband or a household to take care of, resulting in a lot of free time, they are more prone to the sins of idleness, gossip, and being a busybody. Having a husband and children will curb the possibility of falling into these sins.
Summary and Concluding Thoughts
Children are a blessing to the world and society. The Bible spells out an eightfold purpose for children, but there are certainly many more if we look beyond the explicit statements of Scripture. For example, children help us grow in the fruits of the Spirit. They help us better understand God as Father when we are parents. They help us learn the concept of sacrifice and help us look beyond ourselves and our own interests. Children are a blessing, specifically God’s blessing to us. My prayer is that all married Christian couples, especially those in the West, receive this blessing. As we grow to better appreciate children, maybe we will turn the cultural and legal tide away from abortion, which treats children as inconvenient rubbish to be thrown away.