by Terry Wane Benton
Question:
Is having children too risky? Seeing that the majority will end up lost, I have seen a number of faithful Christians lose their children to the world.
Answer:
That is a pretty defeatist way of viewing things. When was it not risky? I’ve seen people who go at it already prepared to be defeated, get what they prepared for — defeat. But it seems the Christian ought to feel more confident that “greater is He who is in us, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4).
Do we let the darkness in the world drown out the light that should be in us? I can’t see that the darkness in the world should be allowed to be greater than the glorious and marvelous light that is in us. (See II Corinthians 4:4-16; I Peter 2:8-9).
Shouldn’t we, at least, of all people, believe that since God is seeking godly offspring, with His help, we can work with Him to have them, enjoy them, and share our internal light with them? (Malachi 2:15). Are we not in a great position to give godly offspring?
Where was Paul’s pessimism in his world, which was probably worse in many ways than ours? What was in him that gave him such a positive outlook? I wonder if God is disappointed in us for not learning what Paul knew when we could read and learn all he knew (Ephesians 3:3-5).
Of all the people in the world, our light inside should be something we want to share, and little souls are such that we can help mold them into lights in this dark world. The world needs more lights, not less, and we need to share the “marvelous light” with little souls open to learning it. There is a risk that some souls will rebel and go into darkness despite our best efforts, but giving them a chance to know Jesus and know the way to heaven is more than worth the risk that they could still resist the Spirit and be lost.
Each soul is precious and is accountable for himself. Not giving a soul a chance to see the light of Jesus Christ, enjoy that marvelous light in this dark world, and forever live with the brightness of His glory, is a dark form of pessimism that should concern us more than the possibility of having a child who goes astray from the light you try hard to share with him.