“Kids. They’re not easy. But there has to be some penalty for sex.”—Bill Maher
“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.“—Proverbs 127:3-5
We are living in a time, a place, and a culture where the family unit is under attack. A hookup culture, where sex is given casually and little regard is given for the fruits of that labor, children are rarely seen as a heritage from the Lord. Rather, children are presented to the world as accidents. Pests. Annoyances. Think about how babies are presented in the modern American media. How often are pregnancies depicted as being the result of a traditional courtship and marriage? I’m having to put on my thinking cap for this one, because I can hardly think of any.
From Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant, Sex and the City, Jersey Shore, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Juno and many more, babies are most often the results of hookups, they are considered accidents and are reared in broken families. While on one hand, it’s admirable that the parents in these portrayals have chosen life over abortion, the larger message is not a positive one. With absentee parents and substance abuse a part of these new family units, what are these shows telling their viewing audience? The family, as Hollywood would put it, is dead.
When I was researching what the Word has to say about families, I came across 1 Timothy 3: 2 – 5 (NLT):
“So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?”
Wow. And there you have it, the reason behind Satan’s direct attack on the family unit. If there really is no desire or reason to revere the unity of a mother, a father, and their offspring, why should we have respect for the greatest family unit? When we are born again, we are born into the family of God through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5). If there is no respect for family units on earth, how can people extend that same respect for what God has given us?
The more I learn about the Word and the closer I get to God, the more I just love Jesus, really and truly. If I could go back in any point of time, it would be during those years that Jesus was walking on earth and spreading his holy message. He just said it all, and never more aptly than in Mark 3:23-25 (KJV):
And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
The Message Version of verse 25 makes it more plain: “A constantly squabbling family disintegrates.”
If we take that point further, where does it end? While at a Bible study recently, one of the older ladies in the group had an inspired point to make. We hear so much about the negative stories about marriage and kids and torn families, but what about the good stories? That’s right – when do we ever hear about family situations that don’t involve a fractured beginning, stories about families that are enduring of the trials and tribulations of life? I’m hard pressed to remember.
Sex is more than just a hookup, and hookups have further consequences than just rapidly fleeting moments of pleasure. Promoting a culture of casual sex is denying that God intended sex to be enjoyed within a marriage, enjoyment being the key term (1 Corinthians 7: 3-5, Hebrews 13:4). Besides that, the fruits of that labor are to be rejoiced, cherished, and praised; Children are more than just accidents.
The next time you watch a show with children, pay close attention. Is a family unit being held in high esteem, or is it another opportunity for Satan to attack?