I also believe that we can be convicted by man, and it can be tricky to discern the difference sometimes.

God can call people to give up certain things that are fine and acceptable to accomplish His goal at a given time. Those that are called to the jungles as missionaries sometimes give up creature comforts. Others have been called to temporarily give up their children or their desires only to have God meet them later.

I don’t think it’s necessarily a “call in two different directions” as much as it is a baseline with someone called to greater heights.

Is taking a land for God a priority? No– God’s chosen land isn’t the U.S.. However, God does have a priority on reaching the world with the Gospel so one could take it to say that our children could be the best witness that we have and the more we have the greater the opportunity we have to influence the next generation for Christ… It’s an interesting thought.

I realize that God has given grace to some women to raise up hands full of children, but to say that every woman (or family) is called to this is to add ideas to scripture, as far as my understanding goes.

And is taking back the land really God’s priority for us? This is a very Evangelical way of thinking these days, but is it Biblical?

On the one hand, if all Christian families popped out 10 or 12 babies then we would be able to take back this land pretty easily. I think back to the story of Moses– and the Pharaoh wanted to kill the babies for that precise purpose: There were too many of them, and they’d soon take over.

Along the lines of that logic, it would make a lot of sense for good Christians to have many children. But could I get a conviction some other way?

I completely agree with your point on how the church (and the world) see children. I have four and they treat me like I’m insane.

I have a problem with the legalism that is attached to this “major issue.” It is a major issue, and when women are encouraged (or convinced) that it is God’s way to completely ignore our bodies’ cycle and procreate as often as we can to bear as many children as we can, it can cause some serious harm.

And that’s not even getting into the people who believe this so black and whitely that they look down on those of us who think (and believe, and are lead) differently.

It’s about conviction. And if I have learned anything through the refining I’ve been through in the last year, it is that conviction for one does not equal sin for another. You, Jess, might be a little more gracious than the “quiver-full” people that I’ve been around, but as a majority, it’s their way or the high-way.

It’s called: “Children of the Reformation: A Short & Surprising History of Protestantism & Contraception”

http://touchstonemag.com/archi.....0-04-020-f

Christians have a history of interpreting the Bible as saying that children are to be received freely from the hand of God, until, conveniently, it became seen as overwhelmingly “inconvenient” to have children (this last century).

And Bonnie, I think you either misread or have misunderstood my words. I have not, nor will I, make this into a “black and white” issue. I have admitted that there may be legitimate reasons why a couple might choose to limit God’s blessings in this area of their lives. I’ll not repeat what I wrote above.

But I will say this: FAR too many Christians nowadays pray about miniscule things (from wanting a good deal on the new car they “need”, to praying for a good drive into work this morning, to asking the Sunday school class to pray about little Susie’s report card this semester), but do not even THINK to pray to God about this major issue.

Sadly, the church MOST often sees children the same way the world does– as a burden, an inconvenience, a drain on the wallet, a frustrating distraction from real life, or an impossible annoyance. And obviously (to quote you), that really bothers me.

I will continue to encourage any women within my sphere of influence to prayerfully and carefully consider this issue in light of God’s Word and God’s high view of children. I’m not one who makes it a black and white issue, but I will seek to bring it up as an issue for consideration by everyone I can influence.

Respectfully,
Jess

Each and every child we have is a blessing, but that doesn’t equate to have as many as you can. People make this a black and white thing when it is not, and obviously that really bothers me.

Zinger!

But about birth control (and natural ways to avoid pregnancy is the same thing)…God gives us responsibility. We have minds, right? Lets use them! We are responsible for buying a house, paying the bills, buying and cooking food, buying, sewing and mending clothes, washing our children, loving them, driving them around, the list could go on forever. Why all of the sudden does the Bible clearly say we have no responsibility in baby-making?

It is wrong to put pressure on people to “have faith” in this area. No child is born without God’s help, but God gives us the grace to know when our “quivers are full.” Even if you believe birth control is wrong wrong wrong, that is your conviction. It is not spelled out in the Bible, so stop pressuring people to do things that God has not prepared them for.

jumping off my soapbox, now.