MAY I AS A CHRISTIAN ADOPT A CHILD?
Sakkie Parsons
Translate from Afrikaans to English: “Mag ek as Christen ‘n kindjie aanneem?”
Someone wrote me a letter in which they asked:
They cannot have children of their own and now want to adopt a brother and sister who are very young and in an orphanage.
They now want to know if this is appropriate for a Christian.
I would like to share my answer to them with you.
I always look at what the Word of God say and/or reveal to us.
So here is what I find in God’s Word in this regard:
There are several instances in the Bible where a couple could not have any children and for me it seems that our Lord felt something special in his heart for such couples and maybe because I’m looking from a man’s perspective to these cases, it appears to me that our Lord had an even more special feeling in His heart for the wife of those couples.
We read:
GEN 11:30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.
Yet after many years Sarai had to wait, she becomes, you might say, the mother of an entire nation, namely Israel.
GEN 25:21 And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
Then, after a long time, Rebekah becomes the mother of the father of the 12 tribes of Israel.
GEN 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.
Then Rachel became the mother of Joseph, the man who would save the entire world known at the time, from famine.
LUKE 1:7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
Then Elizabeth became the mother of John the Baptist, of whom Jesus said:
MAT 11:11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Personally, when I read the Word, I think our Lord has a special thought and purpose with especially godly couples in which the woman does not get pregnant.
If you were my daughter, I would have suggested that you consider adopting a child.
Such a baby also becomes in your heart just like your own.
Years ago, we had a woman working for us.
Her daughter was born while she was in our service. Little Alta has grown up in our house and many times slept between me and my wife.
Her mother then left us later and we were still longing for many years, for what we called our little child.
Just think how the bond will develop between you and a baby you adopt.
Then the anxiety will also be a thing of the past and then, as in Rachel and Lea’s cases for example, which also adopted children and like other cases that I have heard of, you may have more than one child later.
There are so many wonderful babies that want a Daddy and a Mommy and a normal life and a chance in life as you see with these two young children.
Whatever you do, keep your eyes on our Lord in prayer.
Surely then will happen for you, which is only the very best for you.
For you see, our Lord is omnipotent and omniscient, and you are His children, and He will give you only the very best in your circumstances.
What you are considering is a very, very noble thing you want to do.
If someone asks me what I would do if we could not have children, I would without a doubt say – let's adopt a child.
If my wife and I had tried everything where only the two of us were involved, what we could do with the help of the medics and my wife did not get pregnant, we would certainly have tried to adopt a child.
There are wonderful examples in the Word where our Lord has used the adoption of children to His glory and glorification.
I am thinking here of Moses who was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter and then became the deliverer of Israel from Egypt.
Then there was Esther who was adopted by her uncle Mordecai and became the rescuer who saved Israel from total annihilation.
Then –
Praise the Name of the Lord!!!
Was there Joseph who adopted Jesus as his son.
Jesus who then walked to Calvary.
Jesus of whom the Word says:
JOHN 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Here as I sit and write, I cannot think of anything better or more noble thing that a childless couple can do if they really want a child, than to have a child who is part of our Lord's highest creation, to embrace and bring up to His glory.
As I have already mentioned, there are also many cases where as soon as the couple adopt a child, the new mother becomes pregnant.
In closing:
Do you remember what Jesus said about a child, also about an orphan or adopted child?
MAT 18:2-6
2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them
3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,
6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.
I do not know why some married women do not get pregnant.
Just like I do not know why I am blind and are not able to see –
But I look upon these things, and upon myself, and upon all other things round about me, and I rejoice with my great hero Paul:
ROM 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
For I, His child, whom HE has adopted –
ROM 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
As His child, whom I may call my Father, I know:
ROM 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Yes!
How wonderful to know that our Lord adopted us too!!!
EPH 1:5 he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
EPH 1:6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
Our Lord adopted you and me as His children and now we can address Him as our Father.
ROM 8:15 (New Living Translation)
So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father”
I hope this writing will be of help and insight if you’re struggling with this question.
Greetings,
Sakkie
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