Great Bible scholars are known for their timeless sayings, such as “What we believe about God is the most important belief we have,” etc. If I could rather humbly borrow that thought and apply it to parenting, I would say that “What we believe about why we have children is one of the most important parenting beliefs we have.”

Moreover, it is not just important, but crucial, in how we parent. Do we believe that we have children to satisfy us, to make us happy, to fulfill us, to show off (!), or to “carry on our family name”?

Or do we believe that we should do as Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) says, and seek God and his righteousness—and our children are those things added to our lives (and to help us further) as we seek God’s kingdom: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added.”

Obviously, children can add greatly to our lives—and they are amazing and important. They have the potential to bring unspeakable joy to our souls. However, we should not desire children simply for our own happiness, but rather as a way for the Lord to bless us and use us in furthering His kingdom.

If this is the case, we will not look at children as merely “toys” or “accessories,” but rather as the huge responsibility that they really are to “bring up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 NIV).