Amy writes on to ask this, Pastor John, why should I even consider having kids of my own

when there are so many children in need of loving homes now?

Let me set up an understanding of scripture that makes that question valid, even though

Genesis 128 says be fruitful in multiply and fill the earth, because there's a structure

of biblical thought that I have to put in place before I can try to answer this.

A person might say, whoa, doesn't that just settle it?

Be fruitful?

That means have babies, multiply and fill the earth, so do it, don't just adopt to that.

Well, it's not that simple.

The way I get at it is by comparing the question with marriage, because Genesis 218 says it's

not good for man to be alone, I'll make him a helper fit for him, so marriage is normative.

You might even say, commanded in the creation order.

And yet Paul, in 1 Corinthians 7 and 8, says, I wish that everybody was single like I am,

but each has his own gift from God, one of one kind, one of another.

And so he explains that the reason he's commending singleness is because in this fallen

world and in this urgent hour, there is more, there's greater difficulty in serving the

Lord fully without any distraction when you're married than when you're single.

So he wants to see some people single so that they can be more fully devoted without

having to take thought for what a wife or a husband might need.

And yet he says, you do not sin if you marry.

Now I'm going to take that same principle and apply it to children.

If you can say to God's good marriage ordinance, the redemptive order after the fall may call

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