Be Fruitful and Multiply

To Be Fruitful and Multiply


I hope that you all are having a very blessed Monday morning. It was  a great weekend for the Warrick Family. First, we enjoyed a visit from Daniels parents and then we were so blessed to have a wonderful Sunday full of fun and fellowship at church for Easter Sunday. Some of the women in the church put together an Easter egg hunt for the kids and they had a ball! They also had plenty of sugar! Daniel and I did as well since we have imposed a candy tax on our children. This means that anytime our children hit the jackpot and their "cup runneth over" with candy, we get a piece (or two). Ah... the perks of being a parent.

Any who, as I was looking over the pictures of all of the children hunting eggs, I realized how blessed each set of parents was that was there yesterday. We have all been blessed with one (or more) of the Lord's blessings. Each time a child comes into the world the Lord is trusting you with the nurturing of one of his miracles. Have you ever thought about that? That is a very humbling thought.

I decided to look up in the Bible the term "be fruitful and multiply". I used the King James Version of the Bible (the only Bible that we use) that is online. I was lazy and the computer version counts it for me. :-)  The phrase "be fruitful and multiply" is found 64 times. It applies to having children 48 times. The other 16 are references to animals and fields being fruitful.  If something is mentioned over and over in the Bible, I believe that we better pay attention.  We also believe that God has not rescended this command so it still is applicable to life today.  Has God changed or have we?

I also looked for references that describe children. The ones that I found describe children as a reward, blessing, or an heritage of the Lord. These do not seem to be negative words to describe children. In fact, the words that the scriptures use to describe children are some of the most positive words we can think of.  (Has God changed or have we?)

If this is the case, why is it that so many people seek to avoid having a child? It's not just a "worldly" attitude either. It is an idea that has invaded the Lord's people as well. So, I decided to look up several different words/phrases that have to do with not want children or wanting to limit the number of children that are born. In every scriptural instance that I found, being childless or having limited children was spoken of in a way that, in my opinion, shows that it is a shameful thing. (Has God changed or have we?)

Now, I am in now way striking out at anyone. Everyone has to read the Bible for themselves and make their own choices. I am just pointing out that it was frowned upon.

So why are so many people today more interested in having a huge home, a brand new car, and all of the bells and whistles (along with the bills) that come with having it all? At the same time, why are they so sure that their  hearts and pocketbooks can only handle one or two children? Wouldn't another child be more enjoyable to have around than a jet ski? And why have a mini-mansion with all of the perfect decor if there will only be very few people around the home to enjoy it?

Having a large family isn't for everyone. I certainly didn't think that it would be for me until I met my husband and his rather large extended family. Daniel was the oldest of five children and his mother was one of twelve. The get togethers at his Grandpas house were quite an event. People roamed all around the property and house. Children climb all the trees,  played in the woods, and some even spent their whole weekends camping down at the bayou. It was all so strange and wonderful to me. I never wanted to leave once I got there. There were so many people to talk to and such good food and fellowship. I love those memories that I have from that time in my life. I never thought that I would get any of the names straight!

Then there are people that would go out to Grandpa's and while they would enjoy their time there, they would leave and be glad to get back to the calm of their life. You see, when you have many children, there is much chaos at times. There are many opinions, some squabbles, lots and lots and lots of noise, lots of dirty dishes, and lots of dirty clothes. Some people just cannot deal with it or so they think. God grows us into our roles most of the time. Sometimes we do have to jump in with both feet and flail around until we realize that God only threw us into water that was just shallow enough for us. Then we stand up and carry on.  I could not have handled six kids whenever I first got married. I couldn't handle myself! I was 18 years old when we were married and Daniel was only 20.
God has only given us what we can handle. He is a great God and He knows His children.  We let God plan our family. No, we are not trying to be the next Duggar family, although they are good role models. We are just putting the size of our family in God's hands and putting faith in Him since He knows best. We are of the mind that if God said to do something in the Bible, you are supposed to do it. If God said not to do something then you don't do it. If he is silent on a subject then you have to read the word and look at the examples that are given and use those instances to form your opinion. As long as you do it prayerfully and with love, you are on the right track.

Look at your children and see them as the blessings that they are!

God Bless you all!