Listen to what you said, "their wants and not have to struggle"...sounds like money over kids. I know that sound harsh but you said it. Their wants are not the ultimate goal...their needs yes but not their wants.
But Donna most of us can take care of more children than we give ourselves credit for. Don't buy a new car; get a used one. Kids don't have to have nikes...go to Wal-Mart. By the way is it really our place to limit kids? Is it right for us to say to God "I don't want anymore of these blessing"?
LOL, you think so, when we were having babies, the first 10 years of our marriage even, my husband worked on a farm, as a hired hand,he was raised on the farm, he had always done farm work since he was a young child, he was not given the oppertuinty for education, so at this point farming was all he knew,
and his yearly income never went past $2,800. most years it was no higher then $2,100. We had to live on this. Us and our kids went without a lot. There were times we went fishing to be able to give our kids food that night, times we went hungry so our kids could eat, we once ate only boiled corn on the cob for 3 days because it was all we had. We didn't have food closets here then.
We tried tog et help from a church once, they treated us like trash, the guy (the pastor)actually yelled at me, said I was late, when I looked at the clock, there were still 8 minutes to go till they stopped for the day. We had an inadequet home, when it rained, it pourd in the kitchen, no bathroom, or hot water( we were lucky, the last house like this we lived in had running cold water in the kitchen, previously we did not have water in the house, and once lived where we had to haul water in jugs), it froze in there, with inadequte wood heat, we all had to sleep in the living room with the wood stove to try and stay as warm as possible. The cat froze to death under the couch. My kids wore only the cheapest yard sale clothes($.10 $.25, nothing more), or old half worn out clothes from clothes closets, they had one pair of shoes at a time, I got one pair of shoes a year. We couldn't afford a car(we couldn't make repairs or pay for insurance even if we had a car), so we got to town to the store usually once a week, when we could buy food that is. We never got to go to wal mart, ever. We didn't even get to go to glasgow, the nearest larger town, except once a year when we went to the 'food stamp office' to reapply.
So don't you dare think you have anything to tell me about affording children.
If God wants a person to have a child, they are going to have a child, no matter what steps they take to try not too.
Genesis 1: 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
We have certainly replenished the earth.
Knowing there are plenty of children who need parents, we saw no reason to have more than one child. We would rather take care of the children already here who need help. Everyone has to decide for themselves what is workable.
There is hardly any doubt at all, in my mind, that this is one of the ways the Muslims will seek to overtake other countries and religions in the world, namely Christianity.
So now we are going to be told to have children and not worry about the bills and making sure they are taken care of.
When I was a child my parents couldnt afford anything for me and my sisters and I vowed that my kids would have video games and clothes and toys and everything...I will be the first person to say I like my little family, I like the individual attention I can give my boys if I had more than them there would be no way I could be there for them and still be able to work and everything and yes before you say it I am a career mom.
I have never had a man take care of me and I am not about to start now.
Even when I was married I paid all the bills minus the house payment and his car payment and I think the utilities but the groceries, cell phones, kids needs, my needs were all paid by me.
Even now as a single mom yeah things are tight but my kids do not go without.
I am even going to pick up a 2nd job so we can not have to live paycheck to paycheck.
God does supply all my needs, He supplies the jobs I have so I can take care of my family.
Sometimes God helps those who help themselves.
To the family with the 4 kids and only one parent working --- wow! God doesnt want us to struggle and scrimp and save --He wants us to be fruitful in our finances which is why He encourages tithing.
Ever since I have starting tithing I have come close to running out of money but as of yet have not emptied the bank account totally.
I just got the electric bill today for 130.00 and in my checking account is 66.00 which will pay 1/2 the bill its all about depending on God for your needs but also doing something to make sure your needs are taken care of.
when you have a lot of kids there is no time for individual attention for any of them, not to mention the older ones lose their childhood having to help take care of the younger ones.
We have to be able to use a little wisdom when having children, and having children without regard for what we can manage is irresponsible.
First off, Scripture never tells us that God helps those who help themselves.
Maybe the sooner we realize we can't do it without His help and trust in Him, the better off we'll be.
And, who says that God doesn't want us to struggle and scrimp and save?
I can't find that teaching in Scripture either.
My kids haven't had everything they've wanted.
I don't think ANY kid should EVERYTHING they've wanted.
Kids need to learn to work and save for the things they want, and if we give them everything now, that's the pattern they'll expect the rest of their lives - that they're entitled to anything and everything they want.
And then they'll find out they can - CREDIT CARDS!!
Then they're really in trouble.
God takes care of His children.
He even gives us some of what we want every now and then.
Our kids need to know that it's God who's providing - not mom or dad.
It's all about Him and what He can do - and not about me and what I can do.
And since when is keeping Social Security afloat a spiritual issue?
I don't see Scripture saying anywhere, "have 4 kids so your government can take up enough to take care of the seniors."
"Be fruitful and multiply" should cover that, but its also a world-view to be discussed here. Our culture values things, money, etc over kids. OUr mentality is "a boy for me a girl for you and praise the Lord we are finally through."
Like I said there are people saying they cant afford it but
they buy a new bass boat.
But remember Psalm 127. "Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
I need to check but I believe a quiver was considered to be full at at least 5.
And your brush is way too broad. Let God deal with someone on the kid issue. We're not dealing with a cut and dried issue like abortion. Trust me...no bass boat here.