What Is the Value of Our Children?

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward. (Psalm 127:3)

Today’s big question: what is the value of our children?

Christians have received the highest calling. For example, we are to be holy as God is holy. It is an impossible task but the calling of a Christian nevertheless. Today as we continue to consider parental responsibilities, we come to a verse that has us considering another impossible calling. Our children are a heritage from the Lord, and our calling is to value them as He does.

When many of us consider heritage we are often thinking of an inheritance, a birthright, or even a tradition. However, the point of heritage in this Scripture is placed squarely upon understanding the origin of this heritage. Our children are our responsibility given from the Lord. As parents there is an overwhelming importance placed on our responsibilities of stewardship. It is not of our own doing that we have these children. They are of God and He knits us in the womb. Our children are gifts, and our responsibility as parents toward them is high calling.

It is easy to misplace the focus of our responsibilities. We are not ultimately responsible to society. Of course, we want to raise good citizens with model behavior who contribute to the well-being of people, but if this is the goal of parenting, then we have misunderstood the source of our heritage. We want our children to grow up and be members of a good Bible-believing church, but if this is the goal of our parenting, again we have misunderstood the source of our heritage. Our direct responsibility is to dedicate all we do in the stewardship of our children to the Lord. Our aim is to point them to Him as the source of our heritage.

Knowing something of my own wretchedness, I am going to assume the parent reading this devotional has often struggled with a burning desire to be seen and acknowledged as a good parent, particularly in church circles. This is something that all parents must struggle against and avoid. It is a misplaced responsibility because it bases the value our children upon what they do for us, (as if we brought them into the world and we are owed something).

This thinking couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, children are to honor their parents, but they should do this for the Lord’s sake, not ours. Our children’s value is not based on how they make us look. Our children’s value is found in the source of their heritage. Everything in parenting, including our decision-making, changes when we ask ourselves how we might honor God as stewards rather than what will make us happy and proud.

Today’s big idea: value your children as a gift from the Lord.

What to pray: repent of any misplaced value you seek from your children.