What a Lie!

by Crystal Paine

Our society today has such a low view of children. I've been appalled to receive comments from people saying they think the government should limit the number of children people are allowed to have. This sinful, selfish view of life is a direct result of humanistic philosophy which permeats our society and begins in the public education system. People are trained to believe that me, myself, and I are number one. The general consensus I've picked up on is that children take so much time, work, and effort and cost so much money, that you should do everything in your power to limit your family size. What a lie!

For one, raising children is the most rewarding vocation anyone could have. It is also the highest and most noble calling you can have in this life -- to train and raise the next generation up for the glory of God! If you do not believe this, I urge you to read the Bible through and notice how a multi-generational vision is the pervading message of Scripture. We are to train our children, so they can train their children, who will in turn train their children, and on and on down the line. Of course, it is a lot of work, but the rewards far, far outweigh the sacrifices.

Secondly, having a lot of children does not have to cost a lot of money. Where does the Bible say that children need to have a lot of things or that parents have to pay for a college education for their children? This is another myth we've been fed by humanistic teachers. Children don't have to cost a lot of money and God will provide what you need for the family size He's given you. Giving your children love and quality time (and don't tell me that you can't spend time with your children if you have 16 of them -- Think about it: If a mother stays home with her children and the family is home-centered, she'll have plenty of time to spend with her children. She will be with them, spending time with them all day every day. On the other hand, women who are gone all day long and who give up their mothering responsibilities to other care providers and then spend the extra available time shuffling children all over town will be guaranteed to spend a lot less quality time with their children, even if they only have one or two.) and teaching them Scripture is the best gifts you can give to your children-- worth more than anything money can buy.

There are plenty of alternatives to expensive health insurance. (Check out Samaritan Ministries for one such alternative.) You can grow your own food (and when you have a lot of children, you'll have plenty of helpers for your garden!), you can sew your own clothes, you can assign your children to find the best buys on household appliances as part of their school projects.

A couple hundred years ago, the more children you had, the wealthier you were. Why? Because all members of the family contributed to the family. It was a joint-effort. Today, parents are expected to pay for everything, and often to give their children allowance and extra spending money on top of that. Children should be taught from birth that they are not an independent free-for-all moocher. They are an integral, needed asset to the family. They should be taught responsibility by having to earn their own money to pay for their own things. When they are old enough, they should be required to participate in helping to run the household (cooking, cleaning, laundry, ironing, fixing things, and so on). I know of five-year-olds who can cook basic meals, clean bathrooms, wash dishes, and do their own laundry.

In our family, once we were old enough to help, we were required to help. It wasn't an option. It was just expected. We learned the value of hard work and that by working together, we could get a lot more done. I think it is almost harder for me to run a household of three with just a baby and no help, than it was for my mom. For years, she never did any cleaning, cooking, ironing, or laundry. Her chief responsibilities were to be a wife, spend quality time teaching us and mothering us, and, as she was able, minister to other women. I'm so grateful that my parents gave us the responsibilities they did from an early age. Sure, I didn't always want to do my chores, but I learned so many valuable life lessons by doing so. My parents were raising us to be responsible adults. And, we got so much more done, working together as a family. We could minister to so many people and do so many things, because we all worked together.

Crystal Paine is a 24-year-old homeschool graduate from Topeka, Kansas. She is the blessed wife of Jesse and joyful mother of Kathrynne. Visit her site, Biblical Womanhood, for books, articles, encouragement, and inspiration!

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