Dear Steve,
As a mature church leader in my community I am often asked a question relating to the command to Adam & Eve, as well as to Noah later on, to “be fruitful and multiply.” The question is this: “How much ‘multiplication’ is required or can I decide how many children to have? What advice can I give them?
Bishop S.
Dear Bishop S.,
That question is indeed a common one. It helps to remember that God desires for us to have the joy of parenthood – he “invented’ it! He himself regards this joy as something “good” and He withholds no good thing from those whose hearts are blameless (or upright) toward Him (see Psalm 84:11b). So, I encourage you to ask those who are pondering the question of how many children to have, “How much joy do you want?”
Blessings,
Steve