I just published a piece for Boundless that is entitled “Do Something Awesome: Build a Family.” In the piece, I make the case that for a generation obsessed with personal fulfillment, few things are more meaningful than having and raising children.
Here’s a swatch:
If you listen to a dash of rap or pop music every now and then as I do, you hear some interesting words and phrases: “swag,” “YOLO.” And one of my personal favorites: “I’m doing me now.” This saying means that, though you’ve been forced to sacrifice your interests for others in past days, you are at present concentrating on yourself.
…The common life-script among a good number of my peers (both Christian and non-Christian, surprisingly) is basically this:
- Have fun now (20s and 30s).
- Have as many relationships as you want; keep them as minimally defined as possible.
- Make lots of money, pursue your career with super-intensity; alternately, goof off and avoid pursuing anything hard.
- Eventually, in your late 30s and 40s, think about settling down. Then, maybe have a few children.
Read the whole thing. There’s something better than living for yourself, it turns out: living for others.