First came the Yuppies (Young Urban Professionals). Then came the Boomers, the Busters, the Boomlets and Generation X. Now we have the DINC, which stands for Double Income, No Children. I’m not talking about those who can’t have children or who postpone having children until their financial crisis or great career commitment has stabilized. I mean those who are determined not to have children. Forever. Period. If this is your situation, consider what follows.
Those of us who have crossed the Rubicon into parenthood know all about the responsibilities involved: expenses, added stress, unsolicited criticism, waking up crying at 3 a.m. We also know your joys: the smiles of a baby, that first step, the first words, clapping for the big little league play, gifting the bride to a man of dignity. And, well, yes, we know the challenges it presents us: having to be more responsible and less impulsive, getting home on time, planning ahead, having to set a good example, exposing your inconsistencies and little hypocrisies.
It is in this last area, the challenges of parenthood, that your greatest blessings lie. Children force us to be less self-centered, to think of someone else’s interests before our own. It is true that God will also be teaching the DINC to become altruistic, but the learning process will probably be longer and more difficult for them. What I’m saying is that children can be the chisel that God uses to sculpt us into the image of Jesus Christ. Those loving relationships you form with your children can help you get through any test.
The Bible is quite clear on the value of children: “Children are the inheritance of the Lord, children are His reward. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born of youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of They will not be ashamed when they hold their enemies at the gate “(Ps. 127: 3-5 NIV). Of course, what is true of fathers and their children is also true of mothers and their daughters.
All of this, and we haven’t even mentioned relieving the emptiness that all PODWOGs (DINC Parents Without Grandchildren) feel! Think about it!
