I was reading Psalm 127 tonight and realized that that chapter alone, is the most solid defense and reasoning I have more my position on birth control and having a family at a young age. As the psalm implies, however, my children will in time prove to be a defense as well.

Now, at this point in my life I’m not one to say that using birth control is wrong and everyone should follow in my footsteps. Scripturally, I’m just not sure I see that as truth. To me this isn’t a topic of what is morally right or wrong. Both seem acceptable to god.

This, however, a topic that begs the question, which way is wise?

Psalm 127 – A Summary

Psalm 127 is one of my favorite psalms because it brings forward a great truth, that we often proclaim so boldly and yet act on with such timidity, and ties it right to family. God will give us all we need. There is nothing to worry about! Verse 2 states, “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep”.

Work hard! It is good to do so, but do not be anxious because god is our providence.

The psalm then goes on to declare that children are a valuable heritage and blessing from the Lord. They are like “arrows in the hand of a warrior” (verse 4). If I fill my quiver with them I will not be put to shame.

Why This Psalm Matters

because people also give me two excuses not have so many kids. 1) they won’t be able to provide 2) they won’t be able to handle it

People usually give 1 of 2 excuses for not having a lot of children. 1) They are afraid they won’t be able to provide for a large family. 2) They think that too many children will be a burden.

Why You Can Provide For A Large Family No Matter What

The fact is, you can provide for a large family. No matter what state you find your life in. That’s exactly what this psalm is about.

I know what people would say. Doesn’t god want me to be wise and plan? I shouldn’t try to live beyond my means.

I all reality, how do questions and statements like that make sense? You can plan and plan, but you don’t know what tomorrow will bring (James 4:13-17). You might have a wonderful job one day and be fired the next.

Having a large family doesn’t require an extra amount of security. Let’s face it, security is false outside of god, and according to this psalm the security found in god includes assurance that he will care for you and your family.

As Matthew Henry states in his commentary on Psalm 127, “he who sends mouths, will send meat, if we trust in him”. (You can read from Matthew Henry’s commentary here).

Why Having Children Is A Blessing

Everywhere I look in the scriptures, I see that children are always counted a blessing. They considered an honor, a reward; never a burden.

In the case of Hannah, not having a child was considered an affliction and she went to great lengths to receive the blessing of god (1 Samuel 1:10-11). If children are a burden, why is it that scripture depicts them completely differently?

The real burden is being barren! It astounds me how many people today are willing inflicting a “curse” or an affliction upon themselves through birth control. That is no blessing, it is folly.

Why Having So Many Children Is A Blessing

Not only is one child a blessing, but multiple children are even more of a blessing. The psalmist equates having many children (especially at a young age) to a warrior having a arrows. The more full his quiver is, the more blessed he is on the battlefield.

One obvious reason that many children are a blessing is that as they age, they are able to take on many responsibilities in the house and ease the burden of the parents. In addition, if you have spent your youth (rather than your middle age) raising and teaching your children, then they will be there to care for you in your old age. Plus, if there are many of them, they will be able to do so much easier without feeling burdened with extra responsibility.

As For Me and My House

As I said at the beginning, I wouldn’t say that either view is absolute truth! However, as I read scripture I find that there is great wisdom in refraining from birth control and opening your life to the possibility of many children (you never know, you may not have that many anyways).

Because I see this wisdom, I have chosen this path for my family and believe that god has blessed in many ways for it. His blessing have most richly came in the form of two children (at least come April it will be). I encourage others to consider these things as well. After all, who wouldn’t want to be blessed with so many treasures!

You knew eventually I would come back, right?

I have finally been starting become more discipline with my time. I’ve realized that structured time is extremely beneficial and (if I want to do, enjoy, and accomplish everything I love doing) crucial!

A number of things prompted this in me including my desire to study more material in preparation for my masters degree and my desire to continue growing as a husband and a father so that I can successfully lead my family on a daily basis and point them towards God when I fail.

All that to say, I’m taking time to start blogging again. If you can’t tell I trimmed down my blog a while ago and got rid of anything that wasn’t related to theology, philosophy, or church. For the most part these are the three topics I will be focusing on from now. I hope to use this as a means of organizing what I am learning spiritually, to encourage those of you who are reading, and receive outside feedback on these topics.

Enjoy.

Credits: Denislav Stoychev

In my short time studying theology I have learned that, in the western mindset, there tend to be faults within our system of theology that naturally did not exist, at least in the typical fashion, within the Jewish or early Jewish-Christian mindset. One such example of this is the meaning of heart in the Jewish philosophies verses its meaning in the western or Greek philosophies. Today, I write as a means of examining another major shift in philosophies which, in the recent century, has become increasingly noticeable. This shift is individualism.

Leopoldo A. Sanchez M., in an essay about individualism and self indulgence, examines the effects of our increasing need to be unique in comparison to those around us. Throughout the essay, Leopoldo draws striking conclusions by differentiating the manners and lifestyle of Christ to those that we, as modern western Christians, pose.

One of the first major points, which Leopoldo makes known in the first paragraph, is that there has been an increase, within the theological mindset of our day, to demand that all theological reflections take into consideration me. This, of course, stems from the drastic shifts our society has made towards individualism. So much so, that our individualism can, and should be, seen as self-centeredness.

He is, however, quick to point out that seeing our individualism only as such is to view it with only one eye. He makes sure that the reader understands that there is yet another half to the picture of individualism, one which holds good in the differences of the many scriptural interpretations and spiritual gifts.

A second point, one which I have found enlightening and view changing, is that what Christians think of as the mission field are the lost, atheists, or secular members of our society and world. What this, in my opinion, has bred is a view that it is the duty of a Christian to merely reach out to these people with the gospel. This, in turn, has set in place a church that does not find engaging, or loving, their neighbor to be important, but that only bringing in “the lost” is of importance.

One of the major problems this has caused within the modern church is to stretch our individualism into indulgence, something which our modern society has done for many years now. Thus, we live in a church that has given itself to the very ill natured lifestyle of the world. This, as many would agree, is a stark contrast from how Christ lived. Having made himself nothing and taking on the very form of man, Christ refused for himself indulgence.

In addition, Christ has set an example in which he shows love to his neighbors and denies himself, even to the point of death, that he might bring good upon all who choose to accept it. How then can we, claiming to be followers of this very same man and to be attaining to his likeness, uphold ourselves to the exclusion of our neighbor.

Of course, I am well aware that many would argue about the Church’s great interest in its neighbors. After all, how many times a year does each congregation hold, within its own building, an event to which the unsaved of their community are invited to come and enjoy? This, however, is a fault because we, having given ourselves to the thinking that our mission field is merely “the lost”, accept that a simple invitation of an already individualistic and indulgent friend is means, sufficient enough to say that we have served our god.

It is high time that we realize that our goal in missions is not to simply reach “the lost”; but to show care, concern, and love to our neighbors. Most importantly, we must show this to the poor and marginalized. If we, as followers of Christ, were to actually follow his example, we would find that our view of the mission field is not the atheist or secular person but instead the hungry, the needy, and depraved. Like Christ, our goal should be to go into the world, casting off our individualism, as it has become self-indulgence, and seeking to love, care, and give all we have for the benefit of those who need it and would, in turn, be most receptive to the good news that is Christ Jesus.

There are many who argue that the Church plays its part in this by sending out missionaries to other countries or by engaging their youth in mission trips around the globe and the country. However, of these missionaries, how many lack indulgence to the point that they have given themselves and their family up the way Christ has, even unto death? I believe the numbers are marginal. I know many missionaries who live in the same comfort that we here in America live every day. It shames me enough that we do it, let alone that our missionaries do it as well. I also know missionaries who have given up much, even their lives, to love, care, and preach to the needy and depraved of this world.

Even if we were to accept that all missionaries live their lives the way that Christ has modeled, this is a minute reflection of the church at large. We cannot be willing to accept that since a few are willing, the church is doing fine. If it is within you to sit around and watch the depravity of this world go by, while you lie in comfort, you are a wicked man, who knows not the love of Christ. I pity you on the day of reckoning and weep for your end.

So, has our church been and what shall we do to change it? Shall we sit by and watch the world die as we allow ourselves to give money to nothing but our own indulgences and individual beliefs? By no means! We must come together and love our neighbors, the poor, the downcast, and the wicked.

I leave you with this, a quote form the end of Leopoldo’s essay:

One often hears of speakers who talk about self-care. The point is usually that unless you take care of yourself you cannot really take care of others. In these talks, one often gets the sense that the overworked people have a right to be indulgent. Supposedly, hard working people deserve to get something they want. They have earned freedom to make some choices. Without minimizing the real concern for refreshment behind these attitudes, one should also realize that self-indulgence is in some ways a commodity that North Americans can afford. In a culture that values choice and is given to excesses, indulgence becomes another way to exercise one’s freedom to consume and possess. By contrast, there are hard working people in many parts of the world, and many in the United States too, who simply cannot afford indulgence. Those who are better off and talk about taking care of self cannot but sound selfish by comparison. A little or big indulgence might be a pragmatic way of relief. But there is simply no permanent rest and refreshment in a little indulgence. Where then do we go?

This quote, and other paraphrases are taken from an essay entitle “Individualism, Indulgence, and the Mind of Christ: Making Room for the Neighbor and the Father”, by Leopoldo A. Sanchez M.

Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up

About five months ago, I began researching what it took to start a church. This research, of course, opened up many questions, concerns, and insights into the Christian faith (particularly in regards to 21st century americans).

Part way into my studies I stumbled upon this book, by David Bercot, which was written as a way to correct and educate the Christians of this era. I must say, after reading the book’s descriptions, I had a number of reservations while getting into the text. My first thoughts were that David Bercot was just some other guy out there writing about his angry feelings with the church, and he wasn’t capable of saying much of anything that had biblical truth.

After much study and a thorough read through, however, almost all of these reservations were completely lifted. If I had to sum up how I felt in one sentence I would say: This book is exactly what I have been waiting for since the start of my theological studies. It took no more than the few pages of this book, before I was hooked on what was being said. The stories and statements made were so intense and so drastically different than the ‘church way’ I, and many others, grew up in.

Despite my total interest, I will admit that I took nothing in this book to heart until I thoroughly researched and read the early christian texts cited in this book. After my studies, I went through and read the book a second time. By the time I was finished, it was as if God himself had dared me to change and to become a person worthy of being called a Christian.

From a strictly literary standpoint, the book was extremely well crafted and versed in many areas. The author insistently refused to hold back on early church citations as proof and tellings of the stories and truths he brought forth. The author was also capable of writing in a manner that was both intellectual and easily comprehensible. All in all I was very pleased with this book and after two read throughs, I have not walked away without learning and changing myself for the better. As far as Christian literature is concerned, this book is by far one of the best reads.