TRAINING: Have children; spread God's glory

   

     In Genesis 1, God instructs man, who is created in His image, to “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it.” Have kids; spread my glory. Obviously, God wanted Adam and Eve to have children. Secondly, he wanted them to fill the earth with His image. Since he told them this before the fall, it would be God’s likeness and glory that would be spreading and subduing the earth, not man’s.

    It seems to me that we as humans have been better at multiplying than at spreading God’s image. The only problem with spreading our own image across the globe is that we seem to value having children less and less.

    In other words, we don’t seem to think that multiplying ourselves is all that glorious.

    God intends for us to have children so that His glory would be made manifest throughout the earth. Fruitfulness and multiplication has a purpose rooted in the image of God bestowed on us in creation. We are to have children who will reflect God’s image.

    Now consider Psalm 127: 3-4. “Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”

    Again, two things stand out to us. First, children are a reward or blessing from the Lord. Secondly, children are like arrows to be aimed, guided in a certain direction.

    These two thoughts go together as two sides of the same coin. Our children are a blessing when we aim them toward Jesus, the exact image of God. If we fail to direct them in His way, they will probably not be the blessing that we hoped them to be. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of these kinds of children.

    You see, many people are asking the question, “How many arrows make a full quiver?” That’s might be the wrong question. A better question is “What kind of arrows are in your quiver?” Sharp, straight, true? Another question might be: Who is shaping the arrows in your quiver, you or the culture?

    Here are some other questions we must answer: What kind of man or woman are we as we hold these arrows in our hands? Are we warriors? Or are we pacifists? Do we dare take a stand in the middle of a culture that despises children? Can we build up and support and train our children when the culture pervades every part of life? Are we aiming our children toward eternal things?

    One more passage, Malachi 2: 15 says, “Has not the LORD made them (the parents) one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.” In reference to Genesis, Malachi speaks to the truth that the husband and wife are to be one. Why? To produce godly children. From the first book of the Old Testament to the last book, the heart of God is to produce children that reflect His glory, children who are godly. Children who become godly adults.

    Let’s stand strongly for our families, for our spouses, for our children. Let’s fill the earth with the likeness of Jesus. It begins at home.

    Don’t just carry your arrows around in your quiver,

or in your car;

                                           aim them.