— The Wall Street Journal contained an article about the world’s “baby bust” problem. Apparently, thanks primarily to birth control and abortion, the United States and many other nations are facing a population crisis, not of too many people, but of too few people.

Hardly a surprise to many Christians and indeed, to anyone who has their eyes open. Some of us have always known that the “overpopulation” crisis is a lie. If you believe in God, who commanded people to “be fruitful and multiply,” you know that he is perfectly capable of keeping the earth’s population at manageable levels. He is, after all, the one who gives conception (Genesis 30:2).

Practically every family you see has only one or two children, and they make snotty remarks to people who want large families like, “don’t you know what causes that?” When the majority of the population has this attitude, the consequences should be obvious.

There are three main reasons why people deliberately keep from having children. Number one, selfishness. People make many excuses, from wanting time alone to finishing their education. It all boils down to their not wanting children because children would interfere with their selfish plans.

Two, they don’t really like the children they already have because they drive them crazy. I’ll tell you a secret, if you use consistent Bible-based discipline on your children, you might actually come to like, love, and want more of them.

Three, economic worries. Many people think they can’t afford to have large families. Another secret, I personally knows dozens of families who are obeying God’s commands for the husband to provide for his family (1 Timothy 5:8), for the wife to be a homemaker (Titus 2:5), and to count children as blessings to be desired (Psalms 127, 128), and none of them are bankrupt. This is because of God’s promise in 1 Samuel 2:30 to honor those who honor him.

The WSJ’s solution to the crisis is for everyone to have more children. So, once again, it looks like Bible-believing Christians are ahead of the curve.

JOSHUA ASHWOOD

Fort Gibson