Family planning has become an American “way of life.” Doctors urge it in post-delivery visits. Marriage license forms are accompanied by inserts from the Family Planning Commission instructing future husbands and wives on ways and means of restricting and spacing their families. Sterilization procedures are urged for both sexes should the progeny from a marriage become too numerous (exceeding two children!). Rising costs of living and the pressures of advertising have convinced even many Christians that children are a burden, not to be multiplied. Some speak freely of “unplanned children” and refer to them as “accidents.”
But our heavenly Father has called children a “heritage” of the Lord, a “reward.” He has quite a different “family plan.” He has planned that “out of the mouths of babes and sucklings” He will gather praise for Himself (Psalm 8). He has given these little ones position—a “little lower than angels . . . crowned with glory and honor” (Psalm 8). He has given these little ones power—to have “dominion over the works of God’s hands” (Psalm 8)—power over soil, over steel, over electricity, over minds, over social relationships and over all the vast potential which is encompassed on this ball called earth. He has given these little ones a purpose, that “all things may be put under their feet, that all of nature may yield to the control of these children so that their Father in heaven may receive the glory.” What a pity that so much of the power in today’s world is in the hands of Satan’s followers, that so much of the potential is yielding to their control. This ought not so to be. God’s plan calls for children to be born to Christians. He has given t hem a twofold task to do.
1.) Negatively, these children are to break the power of evil. Psalm 8:2 says: “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise . . . to silence the foe and the avenger” (NIV).
2.) Positively, these children are to build the Kingdom.
For this task they must be prepared. Christian education becomes a vital and indispensable tool in the building of God’s Kingdom in this world. Christian education in the home, church and sc hool must serve as the plumbline by which children grow up straight and tall spiritually, academically and socially according to God’s Word. No carpenter builds a house without using a plumb to insure straight walls. No gardener plants a tree without tying it to a vertical post to insure a straight tree. So, too no Christian parent should launch a child into life without affixing that child to the plumb of God’s
Word at home, at school and at church.
For the next few months we are going to look closely at “family planning”—God’s way.
