Quiverfull Revolution

A GROWING MOVEMENT FOR GROWING FAMILIES FOR GOD

So it seems there really are more like me out there...... I never would have thought....... I sure hope my wife doesn't read this.......

Really, as a man, deep down inside, isn't there something at the core of "who you are" that rejects birth control? Something possibly God-inspired? Psalm 127:3-5 does give prestige to the "children of one's youth." I hear God saying, when you're young and full of spit and vinegar, don't feel guilty about your urge to be fruitful.

I reflect upon the stories from the Old Testament of women who were "barren" and how that label brought great shame. People like Jacob (who had 13 children) were honored with each new addition to their families. So there certainly is biblical precedent.

On the other side, one could argue that the culture of the time dictated large families due to the labor-intensive lifestyle. Today's couch potato generation sort of negates the need for a large familial labor force by default.

This issue is a toughie for my wife and I. If you ask me, "Are you going to have more kids?" I will say, much like Ken Carpenter from the news story, "Whatever God has in store, we will accept." But at the same time, my wife and I are being careful.

I suppose it comes down to your own personal relationship with God. If you feel led to have 12 kids, then it's right for you. But if God is putting the brakes on intentionally (like He did with Abraham) then that's OK too.

To interfere with the "natural" is a necessity for human beings. Because of sin, we are all slowly dying. Taken to its fullest fruition, this thought would have one refusing a life-saving surgery or medical treatment. In a fallen world, death is natural, yet we should fight it tooth and toenail.

Childbearing is also natural, and once a child has been concieved it certainly should be given a chance at life. And yet, is God not bigger than abortion or birth control? Can He not supersede the will of man? It's really about obedience. It is conceivable to say that there are those who God has called to be childless. Equally so, there are those God has equipped to bear 2,4 or 10 children.

Recently, my wife began reading an annotated version of Uncle Tom's Cabin. In it, there is a very interesting factoid about Harriet Beecher Stowe and her husband. Their method of birth control was to spend long months away from one another. Whenever they got together, Harriet got pregnant. Having a conscience toward God, they refused other methods of birth control and relied solely on abstinence to reduce the size of their family.

Something to think about..

BTJ

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