Marriage was designed by the Creator God to be a lasting, stable union where sexual relationships can be safely and purposely enjoyed—where children can grow and be nurtured in a stable environment to become upstanding citizens in the community.

A tragic consequence of the pervasive defi lement of this institution is the widely accepted view that children are an inconvenience—even among married couples. Children interfere with their preferred lifestyle. Some parents openly declare that they "just can't wait" until their children are out of the house.

What a tragedy. God has an entirely different view. "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward" (Psalm 127:3).

A reward? Contrast that to popular perception. According to God, children are, not could be, a blessing to be cherished. (To maintain this blessing, they should, as Ephesians 6:4 says, be brought up "in the training and admonition of the Lord.".)

Do you realize that the low birthrate in Western democracies which is occurring as a result of children being viewed as an infringement on a free lifestyle is already making its mark? As the birthrate drops, pension funds (both public and private) also begin to diminish. In the next decade and beyond, these shifting demographics are threatening the retirement funds of future retirees. Treating children as a "bother" is already threatening to cause acute economic problems in the future. Though it is prudent to not have more children than we are able to support, the Western world's declining birthrate, which is more about accomodating selfi sh interests, is producing grave geopolitical consequences.

A lesson of history from the ancient Israelites in Egypt is that population growth produces power. God illustrates the dynamics of this in Psalm 127:4-5: "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate." GN