The Bible says in Psalm 127:3-5, “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. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.”

What is a “quiver” anyway? Have you ever wondered that? Is it five? Is that right? Five children? If so, it looks like our quiver will be full once June rolls around. That’s right, a big announcement here on the blog today: Stephanie and I are expecting our fifth child at the end of June. Surprised? So were we!

Now, this is a personal post. So I don’t want to go into the theology of the family or the blessing of children. But let me say one thing. Children are a blessing, not a burden. In our day, it seems that people who have large families are thought to be strange or weird. The truth is, many folks view children as more of a curse than a blessing.

Is our life crazy? Absolutely! It is chaotic with four children? Absolutely! Do things seem out of control from time to time? Absolutely! But we know that children are a blessing, not a burden. And I have an incredibly important job as a father to invest in the kids that God has entrusted to us, lead them to Jesus, raise them up in the faith, and send them out to impact the world with the gospel.

And this leads me to one final thought. Honestly, there are times when we worry about raising our children in this crazy, chaotic world. This world is incredibly dark and hostile to Christianity already. What will it be like when my children are grown? Are we bringing children into a world that will already be opposed to their beliefs and worldview? These are tough questions for sure. But ultimately, our responsibility is to raise our children in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord” so that they might make a difference in this world and impact the darkness with the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This is my prayer and this is my great aim as a dad. I want to pass on a legacy of faith to each of my children. I want to inspire them to love the Lord and serve Him passionately. I want to send them out prepared to face the challenges that this world brings “ready to give an answer for the hope that is within them.” In the end, if we can raise them right, maybe they can truly change the world. This is my prayer.