Are children the blessing God states they are? For many, especially young women today, this is not something they are willing to experience to find out!
Before we get out of the very first chapter of the Bible, God tells Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Interestingly, the verse begins by saying that “God blessed them” and said this to them. Children are part of the blessing.
God is even more direct about the value of having children later in the Bible:
- Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Psalm 127:3-4
- Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. Psalm 128:3
- “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” Mark 9:37
There was an article this week that reported an increase in sterilization of young women between 18 and 30, especially those under 23. It seems that the overturning of Roe v Wade has caused some young women to be so fearful that they won’t be able to get an abortion that they decide to make their birth control permanent.
The women that are represented in this articles (and a few others – see below) say they are positive that they never want children (many are not married, making this decision on their own). One young woman said she chose it because the United States has the highest mortality rate of pregnant women in wealthy countries and she doesn’t want to die in childbirth.
Many of us would ask why an OB/GYN would give a tubal ligation to such a young woman. Many doctors ask the women to consider other options because they are so young (one said there are 18 different methods of birth control to choose from – though some of those are abortifacients). Generally, from the article, the women find it insulting to have their personal decisions questioned. They just move to the next OB/GYN until they find one who will do what they want.
The birthrate in the US in 2024 was 1.6 children per woman. It takes 2.2 to replace ourselves. We are a dwindling population.
“Go, be fruitful and multiply,” is not being taught as a command for the next generation. It does not appear to be a whole lot better inside the Church than outside of it. The birthrate among Christians is 2.2 per woman. This barely qualifies as replacement, no less multiplication.
The women state concerns beyond not having access to abortion. The top concern is the rising cost of living, paying for daycare and college educations.
God promises that when we obey Him, He will bless us. I believe that if we would raise a whole quiver of children (too late for me), He would provide for them. They may not go to Harvard and Yale, but they can learn all about a gracious God who will take care of His own when His own trust Him.
Will we trust our gracious Lord regarding what we teach about children – having them and raising them in the fear and instruction of the Lord? If they listen, they will see the blessings.
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/is-the-us-birth-rate-declining
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/30/sterilization-women-roe-v-wade-trump
