I’m Supposed to Bring a Baby into this Mess?

I read a story today. It was about a school in Maine making the decision to offer a full range of contraceptive products to their middle school students. These kids are between the ages of 11 and 13. Did I even know what a contraceptive was when I was eleven?

Another headline reads, On any given day, half a million teens get high. This report indicates that during 2006, ”one-third of adolescents aged 12 to 17 drank alcohol in the past year, one-fifth used an illicit drug and one-sixth smoked.” Sure, drug use has declined between the years 2002 and 2006, but with numbers like these, I don’t think it’s time to congratulate ourselves for fixing this problem just yet.

It’s easy for anyone to look at today’s headlines and wonder, “How am I supposed to bring a kid into this mess?” I’ve heard of some people not wanting to have kids because they didn’t want to subject them to life on this planet. I even remember hearing this view advocated by a character on a TV show that aired in the 1970s. I could be wrong (doubtful), but I think the world has gotten even worse since then.

It’s my guess that at least some people from every generation have struggled with the question of bringing children into this world when there’s so much immorality and sin. This world is always changing, and unfortunately, due to our brilliant “let’s be like God” scheme in the Garden of Eden a long, long time ago, the world’s only getting worse. Maybe we’re not inventing new sins, but we’re certainly coming up with some new ways to commit those same old sins, and we’re even normalizing what used to be considered sinful.

So how am I supposed to bring a baby into this world?

Well, this whole problem gets a little easier to deal with when we remember one small detail.

God never changes.

Let’s not run past that, especially since it’s my main point. God never changes. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. No matter how evil the world gets, God can equip every generation to walk faithfully with him and to be light in this dark world. Any generation can have the exact same abiding relationship with Him regardless of the state of the world, regardless of family history, regardless of our own past sins. No matter what’s going on in the world, any generation can have the fruitful, abundant life available through Jesus Christ. That is why He died, after all.

So fear not, my fellow pro-creators! Be fruitful and multiply! God is available to walk with every generation. And when it comes right down to it, isn’t that what makes life worth living in the first place?

Reality Check- I’m excited about having kids. I can’t wait to teach them the ways of the Lord. I can’t wait to watch them grow, and even stumble, in their relationships with Jesus. I still feel like a child sometimes as I dive deeper and deeper into my relationship with God, and I can’t wait to share that with my children. I’ve often wondered how I’m going to protect my kids from the evils of this world, without being too over-protective, that is. But I take courage in the fact that God can and will walk as closely with my kids as he walks with me. He’s the only reason my life has been as good as it is so far. I guess he’s proven he can handle my kids’ lives too. I’m just so thankful that He never changes.

*Inspired by mom.