Brianna writes in and says this, "I'm a 20 year old woman who by God's leading wants to live among unreached people groups in India or the Middle East. I've never had the desire to have my own kids, even though I love kids, and the guy I'm currently dating doesn't either.

If we get married, we see ourselves living as Paul-type missionaries. Practically speaking, it makes sense to not have kids. I've heard so many different opinions, but I want to know if biblically it is a sin to not want to have kids if you're able to." First, I'm assuming that this couple is in a totally different category than the modern secular couple who have their personal dreams and consider children an inconvenience on the way to self-realization.

That, it seems to me, is very common and is sinful because God and his word are not the plumb line in those choices, but rather self-absorption is. I don't hear that in this question, so I'm not treating that issue. That's another issue. It seems to me this couple has a question much more like 1 Corinthians 7 when Paul ponders whether singleness is advisable for himself and others.

So let me draw out the implications of Paul's words about spouselessness for the question of childlessness. Because I think the principles relating to spouselessness and childlessness are the same. So here's what Paul says, 1 Corinthians 7, "I wish all were as I myself am, namely single, but each has his own gift from God, one of one kind, one of another.

To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am, but if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry." And then he gives this reason down in verse 32, "I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord, but the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided.

And the unmarried betrothed or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit, but the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. And I say this for your benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord." Now, the reasons this is important is that Genesis 2.18 says it's not good for man to be alone.

I will make a helper fit for him. And Genesis 2.24, "Man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife." So marriage is normal and good and expected. And here comes Paul and he says, "Well, there are circumstances since the fall," because all those instructions were given before the fall, "there are circumstances since the fall in this redemptive era of people needing to come to Christ and much sin abounding in the world, there are circumstances after the fall where devotion to the Lord's work of redemption may demand unusual steps of devotion and singular focus." In other words, he warrants his own singleness that way, and he says others might take that step as well, but it's not a sin to marry.

Now, I think the same principle applies to having children. In the beginning, before the fall, God said, "Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth." That's normal, it's needed, it's the way God's purpose to fill the earth with worshippers is going to be fulfilled. You don't have babies, you won't fill the earth with the knowledge of the Lord like the waters cover the sea.

But now, may we not infer, because of the analogy with marriage, that there are circumstances after the fall where devotion to the Lord's work of filling the earth with worshippers, the work of redemption, may demand unusual steps of devotion and singular focus. So my counsel would be this. Yes, for the Lord's sake, and for his unusual purposes in your life, you are free to forego the normal, wonderful blessing of children.

That's number one. Number two, don't make this a lifelong commitment. God may change the situation, and he may change your mind. You may find yourself ten years into a missionary situation where you thought childlessness was crucial, and discover, "No, having babies here would be a great help, because it would give me the kind of normal fellowship with these women," for example.

I mean, that's just one possible example. So whichever way you do it, for the name of Christ, gather children for the name of Christ. So as a single person, as a married person, couple without children, gather children. Fill the earth with worshippers by winning worshippers, if not by begetting worshippers.

Yes, thank you, Pastor John, and thank you, Brianna, for the question. If you find yourself drawn to international missions, but you don't know where to begin the process, we recorded an episode, number 236, to address this. That episode can be found in the free Ask Pastor John apps for the iPhone and the Android.

That's episode number 236. And be sure you've updated your app in the last month to get all the new features that make it really easy to search and browse all of the almost 300 episodes that are now available in the archive. Well, it seems a few prominent Christians like Donald Miller have given up on the local church or find themselves on the verge of it.

Tomorrow, I'll ask Pastor John for his thoughts. Until then, I'm your host, Tony Reinke. We'll see you tomorrow. . . .