Some say that God has a sense of humor. I believe that. I’m sure He chuckles whenever He sees us trying to make plans for our lives. I know I get a laugh whenever I look back at how I thought my life would turn out. But the older I become, the more I watch my so-called plans fade away in the distance. One thing is for sure, my plan for having a baby hasn’t turned out the way I thought. I just knew that I would be a mother by now. But month after month of my husband and I trying…nothing. So I’m sure you can understand why I used to cringe whenever I heard the Genesis 1:28, which is a command from God for us to be fruitful and multiply. After all, it is up to us to help replenish the earth, right? Well, maybe. I think that scripture was meant for Adam and Eve, but, I’m not so sure that is the command for us today.

You see, the God I know doesn’t make mistakes. So, if being fruitful and multiplying was a command that we all had to follow, why are there so many examples of women unable to bear children in the Bible? Why are there also men who do not to marry or reproduce at all?

I believe that being fruitful and multiplying goes beyond having a baby, especially in this day and age. Maybe when Adam and Eve were around, they were the forebears of humanity, and that’s why God blessed them with children. But, now, I think the command is a little different for us. To me, being fruitful, means that we are good stewards in the way we bear fruit. Think about it, according to the Bible, fruit is used to describe a person’s outward actions – or better yet, the way they live their lives. As for multiplying, we can “reproduce” by spreading the Gospel and bringing people to Him and expanding His kingdom.

So, when I look at it like that, maybe I’m not too far off my plans after all. I’m just bearing ‘children’ in a different way.

Here are some of the ways that I answer the call to bear fruit and multiply:
• Spending time reading my Bible
• Developing my character to show kindness, self-control, gentleness, love and peace
• Sharing the Gospel and allowing my life to be a testimony.

I’d like to hear from you. What are some ways that you are fruitful and multiplying beyond having a baby?