ELDER PAISIOS ON HAVING CHILDREN IN TODAY’S WORLD: The Elder was asked a question: “…many young people today don’t want to have children because they see the kind of world into which they’ll bring their child. Pollution from chemicals and nuclear energy, life full of anxiety, wild society, wars…If we are already in the time of the Antichrist, as it seems to me, maybe it’s not worthy getting married and having children.”
He answered:
No, it’s not like this! Didn’t Christians at the time of the persecutions get married? Didn’t thy have children? They both married and had children! They had their hope in Christ, not in people. This way of thinking is faintheartedness. In one minute God can change everything; straighten all the crooked things. People make plans. God has His own plan as well. If you knew how many times the devil wrapped the earth in his tail so as to destroy it; but God doesn’t allow him. He ruins his plans. The evil which the devil attempts to initiate, God uses and produces great good. Don’t worry!
from Orthodox Christian Parenting, pg. 77.
Elder Paisios of Mt. Athos reposed in 1994
Yes, faintheartedness is good for us to stand against at every threshold!
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What an encouraging message.
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I totally love it and will remember it when someone says something about my 8 grand kids. The same people said things every time I got pregnant. That is a wonderful quote.
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That’s a great quote even though I am not in the ‘child-having’ place. I’ve never thought that though- good people need to be born even in hard times!x
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Children are God’s opinion the world should go on.
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Nothing’s new under the sun. There has always been “bad stuff” here in the world, but we must trust God, even when it’s hard. I love Sandra’s quote.
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God’s truth resounds. HE is sovereign.
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I was refreshed by this post…especially this line: In one minute God can change everything; straighten all the crooked things.
A person doesn’t hear much about faintheartedness. I appreciated this little meditation on it.
Many blessings….
Brenda
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As a mother of young children, I found your post timely and full of perspective I need as I often wonder what kind of world my children will have to face as they grow. Sometimes I fear the world they may know, yet I must remember that God is more powerful and able than the Devil who would be delighted if we all stopped having children…people who may turn their hearts to God and serve Him, thwarting the enemy’s plans. There is peace when I refocus and place my hope in God…
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Very good quote and so true. Faintheartedness could keep me from doing much of God’s will if I caved to it leaving me to live a shallow, self centered impoverished life.
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Those are good, encouraging words! It’s scary to think of bringing children into this world, and I worry more about my kids’ lives now than I did when they were babies. But God reigns, and we can rest in that.
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