“We’re not ready for kids yet. We want to be financially stable.”

“I want to have a successful career before we have kids.”

“I know I’m not mature enough to be a parent.”

“Our home is so small; we don’t have room for kids right now.”

“I think I would go insane if we had any more kids.”

Time and again, these comments have caused me to grieve. True, I don’t know the whole back story to each of the above comments. I’ve even had some of those very same thoughts. However, I would love to have a baby in my home to love and cherish. Comments such as these portray the idea that children are a commodity to purchase. These casual comments cheapen the treasure that is a child. A baby is not something we get “at our earliest convenience.” Sadly, society tells us that we come first. Therefore, the use of birth control helps us to plan the “best time” to start a family. There’s a to-do list of accomplishments in this life, and having children gets in the way of those successes. We want the big boat, the nice home, and a large financial savings. Once we get those things done, then we can think about a family. This thought process is sinful.

Children are a heritage from the Lord (Psalm 127:3). They are not property to be purchased when we’re ready for them. Children are a result of God’s design for marriage. A child is a gift from God. Who says no to a gift, a really good gift? Sinners do. In our sinful nature, we desire to put ourselves first. We want what we want when we want it. We feel that nothing should get in the way of our success. We want a career advancement, a bigger home, a secure future. Yes, these things are all good. They aren’t so good when they become idols. When children “get in the way” of our personal success and achievements, then we have turned God’s gift of a child into a convenience.

O God, forgive our selfish thoughts and help us to treasure children as gifts. Amen.