This is a continuation from last week’s write up on God’s purpose for marriage.

IT is the responsibility of parents to rear children, not just to bear them. Parents should count the cost of bearing children and plan for their upbringing before they get into marriage.

They should plan how they will space them. Some parents, especially women, have been unnecessarily worn out through child bearing.

They keep on bearing children year after year; to such parents the children who were meant to be a blessing from the Lord have become a burden. Ellen G. White writes: “The mother’s health is important, in view of the responsibility that devolves upon parents; it should be carefully considered whether it is best to bring children into the family.

Has the mother sufficient strength to care for her children? And can the father give such advantages as will rightly mold and educate the child?

How little is the destiny of the child considered! The gratification of passion is the only thought, and burdens are brought upon the wife and mother which undermine her vitality and paralyze her spiritual power.

In broken health and with discouraged spirits she finds herself surrounded by a little flock whom she cannot care for as she should. Lacking the instruction they should have, they grow up to dishonor God and to communicate to others the evil of their own natures, and thus an army is raised up whom Satan manages as he pleases”.

Counsel to parents of a large Family, the question to be settled by you is, “Am I raising a family of children to strengthen the influence and swell the ranks of the powers of darkness, or am I bringing up children for Christ?

God wants every couple to be fruitful and multiply, this is a fact that, God has given man this ability. The scriptures are very clear on this matter.

“You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men and women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young” [Deuteronomy 7:14] “And none will miscarry or be barren in your land” [

Exodus 23:26].

The above scriptures testify that God wants every married couple to have children. If there be any case of barrenness, it is certainly not from God. God did not create any one barren. The devil is responsible for all sicknesses that we go through including barrenness. Go to God in prayer and tell Him what you want.

Ask Him to fulfill His Word on fruitfulness in your life. The good news is that our God is able to heal all manner of sickness.

All cases of barrenness in the Bible were healed.

I must emphasize here that happiness comes to married couples as a consequence of their carrying out the several functions of marriage.

The home in which emotional and financial security is provide, in which a background for spiritual and cultural growth is formed, in which provision is made for the development of stable character, the home in which children share with their parents a realistic attitude towards life – this home will become an inherently happy home. In such a home, it can be claimed that marriage has been a success.

Now returning to the concept that the overall purpose of marriage is to provide happiness, we should emphasise that happiness comes to married couples as a consequence of their carrying out the several functions of marriage.

The home in which emotional and financial security is provided, in which a background for spiritual and cultural growth is formed, in which provision is made for the development of stable character, the home in which children share with their parents a realistic attitude towards life-this home will become an inherently happy home.

In such a home it can be claimed that marriage has been a success. This is the ideal home that you and I should aim for in this life.

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