Children Are “an Inheritance From Jehovah”

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WHAT comes to your mind when you hear the word “inheritance”? You may think of money, a piece of property, or a treasured heirloom passed on to you by a beloved family member. Whatever form it takes, an inheritance is valuable and you surely want to take good care of it.

The Bible calls children “an inheritance from Jehovah.” (Ps. 127:3) Certainly, Christian parents view their children as precious gifts from their heavenly Father and want to do all they can to keep them safe and well cared for physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Sad to say, though, some parents today do not consider their children to be a reward from God. (Isa. 49:15; 2 Tim. 3:1-3) Others may genuinely want to care for their children but struggle to do so because of various challenges. What are some of these challenges that make it difficult for parents to care for their children? What does Jehovah require of parents? And how can Christian parents succeed in raising their children?

THE CHALLENGES

Community and family pressure. In some areas of the world, parents with many children receive more respect from the community. Thus, couples may be pressured by their family or by their neighbors to have many children—perhaps more than the couple can care for personally.
Concern about the future. In lands where infant mortality is high because of malnutrition, disease, and limited health services, some couples have many children to ensure that at least some reach adulthood. Other couples may choose to have many children to make certain that as parents they will be cared for during old age. This is especially true in countries where there is no government assistance for the elderly.
Family planning. In other areas, some couples have limited access to birth control. Others are afraid of the side effects of low-quality contraceptives that are available to them. Still others cannot afford to use birth control because of the high cost. a

WHAT DOES JEHOVAH REQUIRE OF PARENTS?

Spend time with each of your children

Provide for your children’s needs. Jehovah entrusts parents with the responsibility to provide materially for their minor children. He expects parents to be willing to work hard to provide food, clothing, and shelter for each child. Jehovah also requires that parents educate their children. So Christian parents do not simply send their children off to boarding schools. Rather, they ensure that their children live at home as they mature so that they can receive the proper schooling and personal attention, which make them feel safe, secure, and loved. Still, Jehovah is reasonable; he does not expect parents to be wealthy. In fact, Jehovah chose hardworking yet materially poor parents to raise his own beloved Son.—Matt. 13:55, 56; Luke 2:24.

Bible principle: “Certainly if anyone does not provide for those who are his own, and especially for those who are members of his household, he has disowned the faith and is worse than a person without faith.”—1 Tim. 5:8.

Jehovah understands that parents may need to receive practical help as they grow older. In fact, one way that children can honor their parents is by arranging for their care later in life. (Ex. 20:12; 1 Tim. 5:4) However, Jehovah is pleased when parents think primarily about how they will care for their children rather than about how their children might care for them.—2 Cor. 12:14.

Provide spiritually. Christian parents also have the responsibility to train their children to love and worship Jehovah. He considers the spiritual training that parents provide to be an essential part of their children’s upbringing.—Deut. 6:6, 7.

Bible principle: “Go on bringing [your children] up in the discipline and admonition of Jehovah.”—Eph. 6:4.

JEHOVAH WANTS YOU TO SUCCEED

Discuss in advance how many children you hope to have

Plan ahead. If you are contemplating having children, carefully consider your circumstances. For example, will you have the means to feed, clothe, and educate numerous children? If not, discuss with your mate whether to limit the size of your family so that you can provide any children you do decide to have with the care Jehovah requires. Of course, Jehovah understands that not everything in life can be planned. (Eccl. 9:11) But he will bless your sincere efforts to be successful parents.

Bible principles: “The plans of the diligent surely lead to success, but all who are hasty surely head for poverty.”—Prov. 21:5.

“Who of you wanting to build a tower does not first sit down and calculate the expense to see if he has enough to complete it?”—Luke 14:28.

Put Jehovah first in your family. Make the worship of Jehovah the priority for your family. If you already have children, be determined to teach each one of them to love Jehovah. Help them to pay attention and learn at congregation meetings. Maintain a weekly Family Worship routine. Train your children in the ministry. Do not turn over your parental responsibilities to your older children or to other relatives. Raising children to love Jehovah will require time and effort, but the rewards are great.

Bible principle: “No greater joy do I have than this: that I should hear that my children go on walking in the truth.”—3 John 4. b

Trust in Jehovah. Whether you are thinking of starting a family or you already have children, be convinced that Jehovah’s standards are more important than local culture or custom.

Caring for the spiritual needs of children requires time and effort

If you choose to limit the number of children you have, trust that Jehovah will still provide for you in your old age. Resist any pressure to view children as a kind of “retirement plan.” You never need to fear that you will be abandoned. Jehovah has promised to care for you, and he always keeps his promises.—Josh. 23:14.

Bible principles: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he will make your paths straight.”—Prov. 3:5, 6.

“I was once young and now I am old, but I have not seen anyone righteous abandoned, nor his children looking for bread.”—Ps. 37:25.

“Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.”—Matt. 6:33.

Children are precious gifts that Jehovah has entrusted to parents. How happy Jehovah must be when Christian couples live up to that trust! They lovingly provide for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of their children; they plan the size of their family; and they faithfully put God’s requirements ahead of local culture or custom. In doing so, Christian couples show that their children are a cherished gift—“an inheritance from Jehovah.”

They Have No Regrets

Do parents suffer when they choose to limit the number of children they bring into the world? This question is on the mind of parents in many parts of the world where economic hardships are common. Note what some faithful family heads in a few of these countries had to say on the subject.

Did you face pressure to have a large family?

“Yes, even from some within the congregation. One couple said to us, ‘Why do you have only one son? Here in Africa, if you have one son, it is as if you have none. If you have two, it is as if you have only one.’ Even after the birth of our second daughter, the pressure did not stop.”—Jeremias

Have you suffered physically or spiritually because of limiting the size of your family?

“No. Quite the opposite. Because we chose to have a small family, my wife and I were better able to care for our material needs and, above all, our spiritual needs. I was brought up in a large family, and I saw the many difficulties our father and mother had to cope with to provide us with proper sustenance and education.”—Jeremias

How do your children feel about your decision?

“Our children feel encouraged because they did not face the same hardships as other children did whose parents struggled to care for them because of having so many children.”—Filipe

“While growing up, our children were happy because they felt safe and cared for in a loving home. We always had the companionship of spiritually mature brothers and sisters, who encouraged us to set spiritual goals. Today we see in our children the results of those efforts.”—Carlos

Have you benefited from your decision to limit the size of your family?

“We were better able to care for our family materially because of our decision. I lost a well-paying job about three years ago. That change in our circumstances was easier to handle because we were a small family and did not need many resources to care for all of us.”—Jeremias

“Our decision has allowed us to provide for our children both materially and spiritually. We have been able to serve in areas where the need was greater. We have found it easier to meet each child’s needs. All our children serve Jehovah and have pursued spiritual goals.”—Lenadi

What thought would you want to share with parents?

“I have witnessed the truth of Psalm 34:10b, which says: ‘Those seeking Jehovah will lack nothing good.’ Jehovah has provided everything that my family and I need.”—Rafael

a Each couple will decide how many children they will have, when they will have them, and whether to use a nonabortive form of birth control. No one should judge them for their personal decisions. (Rom. 14:4, 10-13) Additionally, married Christians keep in mind the counsel recorded at 1 Corinthians 7:3-5.

b Although the children mentioned in this Bible verse refer to Christian disciples, a parent can easily relate to these sentiments expressed by John.

THE WATCHTOWER—STUDY EDITION